I think it might depend on experience re how motorists do behave; in UK quite a few decide to chance it at a normal red traffic light which has just changed from green- perhaps Australians are better behaved.
As stated before, in the UK the regulations re a police officer giving handsignal taking precedence over traffic lights is another thing that would need to be considered.
I have come across traffic lights controlling alternate direction traffic flow over a narrow bridge when I have been stopped at them for a period that I judged excessive given the length of the narrow section and pervious experience at the site and it seemed as if the doppler sensor had been deliberately misaligned so that an approaching vehicle would not be detected. Due to a bend just prior to the bridge unable to see the opposite traffic light or vehicles approaching it or even on the bridge. However felt I could not just stay there for ever and being late at night and dark felt I'd get some warning of oncoming vehicle. Therefore decided to adopt the "sound horn, proceed slowly keeping a careful lookout" approach, knowing that the pair of right angled bends would also act as a form speed constraint in the opposite direction. I think many other drivers would do similarly. Would I have done that at a level crossing I ask myself?; knowing what I d,o yes perhaps at a CCTV but certainly not at an AOCL, ABCL, AHBC etc.
Can't expect average motorist to appreciate the difference of where it might be reasonable to bend the rules and when it would be unacceptable to do so; hence placing all level crossings into same category and differentiating by different road signals is sensible. However following this argument to logical conclusion then using standrd traffic lights at CCTV crossings whilst retaining the wig-wags at others does have some logic.
As stated before, in the UK the regulations re a police officer giving handsignal taking precedence over traffic lights is another thing that would need to be considered.
I have come across traffic lights controlling alternate direction traffic flow over a narrow bridge when I have been stopped at them for a period that I judged excessive given the length of the narrow section and pervious experience at the site and it seemed as if the doppler sensor had been deliberately misaligned so that an approaching vehicle would not be detected. Due to a bend just prior to the bridge unable to see the opposite traffic light or vehicles approaching it or even on the bridge. However felt I could not just stay there for ever and being late at night and dark felt I'd get some warning of oncoming vehicle. Therefore decided to adopt the "sound horn, proceed slowly keeping a careful lookout" approach, knowing that the pair of right angled bends would also act as a form speed constraint in the opposite direction. I think many other drivers would do similarly. Would I have done that at a level crossing I ask myself?; knowing what I d,o yes perhaps at a CCTV but certainly not at an AOCL, ABCL, AHBC etc.
Can't expect average motorist to appreciate the difference of where it might be reasonable to bend the rules and when it would be unacceptable to do so; hence placing all level crossings into same category and differentiating by different road signals is sensible. However following this argument to logical conclusion then using standrd traffic lights at CCTV crossings whilst retaining the wig-wags at others does have some logic.
(15-04-2011, 01:31 AM)losler Wrote: I know someone who is advocating the sole use of traffic light style indications rather than the usual flashing railway lights with the thought that road users are more used to encountering a traffic light and thus know how to behave at one.
What are peoples thoughts on this?
PJW