Talk:Traffic light

Removal of traffic lights in Europe

This newspaper report from 2006 could be of interest. There's since been a similar (though less extensive) scheme in Portishead, UK. I'll research further news items for possible inclusion in the article when I find the time. --Trevj (talk) 08:05, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

Merging lights

These lights are installed (at least in US) in the places of busy merging lanes. Usually one car per green light. They supposedly make traffic more smooth, however it's not obvious. Article should mention these, should explain why they are needed and how they work, if they do. Yurivict (talk) 23:31, 30 November 2011 (UTC)

See Ramp meter.--Triskele Jim (talk) 17:14, 1 December 2011 (UTC)

Added ramp meter as "see also" per your suggestion. Thanks. Student7 (talk) 00:59, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Rewriting Pedestrian and cyclist crossing lights

I think the parts of this section need to be cleaned up. They are confusing and explained horribly in my opinion, this needs clean up badly! — Preceding unsigned comment added by JDOG555 (talk • contribs) 23:31, 2 December 2011 (UTC)

Entering on Yellow, right to proceed

It seems to me that the rules of the road section is rather unclear, with a mish-mash of local information but no authoritative perspective. In particular, I came by to check yellow light rules and was somewhat taken aback by the Ontario reference. Many US states have adopted uniform traffic rules which include the ability to proceed if one enters an intersection while the light is yellow. Citing page 14 of the Kentucky Drivers' Handbook (KY is a recent adopter of uniform rules): "YELLOW A yellow light means the traffic signal is about to turn red. Stop if you can do so safely. A vehicle may clear an intersection on a red light, if the vehicle entered the intersection while the signal was yellow; but it is against the law to enter an intersection after the light turns red. " Some cleanup and clarification seems needed here. KenThomas (talk) 21:24, 13 March 2012 (UTC)

Suggestion for improvement (sensors)

A quick search in WP didn't find an answer to "How are waiting vehicles detected for traffic light changes?"

From http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/question234.htm --

"Let's say you take a coil of wire perhaps 5 feet in diameter, containing five or six loops of wire. You cut some grooves in a road and place the coil in the grooves. You attach an inductance meter to the coil and see what the inductance of the coil is. Now you park a car over the coil and check the inductance again. The inductance will be much larger because of the large steel object positioned in the loop's magnetic field. The car parked over the coil is acting like the core of the inductor, and its presence changes the inductance of the coil. A traffic light sensor uses the loop in that same way. It constantly tests the inductance of the loop in the road, and when the inductance rises, it knows there is a car waiting!"

-- Jo3sampl (talk) 18:05, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

It's commonly believed that loop sensors work by measuring inductance, but this is not true. They work by detecting the "shorted turn" which a vehicle or bicycle imposes. For instance, a bicycle as 3 shorted turns: the frame inside triangle, and the two wheels. But that is outside the scope of this article anyway.

Aspects?

The article talks about "aspects", but doesn't say what an aspect is. 108.213.76.24 (talk) 21:57, 9 May 2013 (UTC)

Where the lights are placed in the intersection

I did not see any information on different where different placed place their trafic lights. I know that where I am from, the lights are placed on the far side of the crossing road, but, at least in NYC, they are placed on the closer side, above the heads of the people waiting closest to the intersection. Is there any info on why there is different placement locations in different locales? 63.140.104.240 (talk) 18:50, 23 May 2013 (UTC)