Traffic light countdown timers, what a fanastic idea !

Justin Smith said:
Drivers do that here even with no timers, I really don`t see it would encourage more people to go through red lights. If anything it`d mean fewer doing it because I am prepared to (grudgingly) accept that some drivers go through on red simply because they`ve misjudged it, as opposed to doing it on purpose, which in my opinion, most traffic light jumpers do.....
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The problem there and in SE Asia in general is education. You will frequently hear adverts on the radio informing you that a RED light means stop and that not doing so could cause a serious accident! They just don't care though, at least it seemed that way to me. Of course Taxi drivers only make money by ferrying people around so they want to get you from A to B as fast as possible so they can go and get their next pickup.

Dogbreath said:
Yep, I've had some terrifying taxi rides in China, real life affirming moments. Did you also find that a lot of taxi drivers will continuously accelerate and back off all the time (every few seconds), even when on a relatively empty road? Makes me feel car sick really quickly, and I can't understand why they do it.
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From my time there and asking various people it seems this is their technique for increasing MPG?! whether it works or not I do not know but it is a technique used by a hell of a lot of them over there so I too experienced frequently.
 
Not sure about timers but I think the pre-warning flashing yellow lights they had on the main roads in Rhodes were a great idea. Basically they were positioned some distance up the road from the actual traffic lights and basically told you if you were going to make the lights or not (when you got used to the timings) so you could back off and coast even before the lights turned red because you know you wouldn't get through. On the flip side if they stopped flashing you knew you could maintain speed as the lights will change before you get there. Fantastic.
 
Gixer said:
From my time there and asking various people it seems this is their technique for increasing MPG?! whether it works or not I do not know but it is a technique used by a hell of a lot of them over there so I too experienced frequently.
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Could be trying pulse and glide http://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm it seems fairly counter intuitive but it is proven to work when done properly
 
TheVoice said:
I think Canada has them in some instances, and I know Saudi Arabia does, although over there it was to stop people from getting impatient and running red lights because they think they're stuck on red.

I don't really see them reducing fuel usage though. Would people really bother turning their engine off for the sake of 20 seconds at a red light? I can honestly say I wouldn't.
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Taken from the Ford Fiesta owners manual with regards to Start-Stop (where the engine automatically turns off when you put it in neutral).

To obtain maximum benefit from the system, move the transmission selector lever to neutral and release the clutch pedal during any stop of longer than three seconds.
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Find it here under "Unique Driving Characteristics"
 
Justin Smith said:
When we were in China a few years ago we noticed that many of the traffic lights had countdown timers on them, and what a fantastic idea they are. Not only do they save fuel and wear and tear on your vehicle* they must save loads of the stress of urban driving. If you know exactly when the light is changing you`ll know if it`s worth keeping you foot on the gas or whether you should just lift off and slow down gently. Or, if stopped at the light, whether it`s worth switching your engine off.
They also have the added benefit that those imbeciles who go through red lights have even less excuse than they did before !
If the Government really are bothered about reducing energy usage, why haven`t we got them here ?

* If used in conjunction with good observation and anticipation, which, I accept, is by no means certain......
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they exist in london

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sovietspybob said:
Could be trying pulse and glide http://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm it seems fairly counter intuitive but it is proven to work when done properly
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It works because there is less engine drag over time but I think Im not sure coasting in neutral is 'allowed' though the prius is doing this by default ?

My old landlord would give me a lift down the valley road and turn off the engine for well over five minutes. He would turn the key off, leave it in 5th gear but clutch in and then with the ignition turned back on. Vacuum in the brake assist was left enough and it wasnt power steering anyway so Im not sure about that


In Spain Ive read the lights turn red when you are detected above the speed limit
 
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sovietspybob said:
Could be trying pulse and glide http://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm it seems fairly counter intuitive but it is proven to work when done properly
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No, they drive one second on one second off. Very weird, and not comfortable!
Here in Korea they've advised people to go to neutral when sitting at the lights (90% of cars being autos) stupid thing is all the lights here are on timers ( not led counters), not even cameras/ traffic flow sensors, so people run red lights religiously.
 
great for those of us with convertibles, got to the point were i'd know the exact times for the lights on my commute to work so i could put the top up/down in the gaps :D
 
tigerstyle said:
No, they drive one second on one second off. Very weird, and not comfortable!
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A taxi driver was doing this with me on Saturday night. I asked if there was a problem with the car. I told him to drive properly as I was likely to be sick if he carried on like that - Octavia's with 200k on the clock are not the smoothest things at the best of times when driven properly!
 
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