Is this Sheff traffic light set up wrong?

[Planner1 428]

2 hours ago, carosio said:

It is rather off putting though if at red.

If you find standard traffic signal sequences disconcerting, it might be reasonable to ask whether you should actually be driving? That's the way they've always worked, so you should be well used to it if you're an experienced driver. If you're not experienced, get used to it, because they won't be changing the way they operate any time soon.

 

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it isn't exactly a major problem.

[carosio 186]

I've been driving cars, vans, motorcycles since 1964 almost daily with a clean licence throughout, and I would consider myself a safe driver/rider.

 

Can you suggest any more examples of similar set-ups in Sheffield?

[Cyclone 10]

Almost every set of traffic lights has a secondary repeater set...

[dave_the_m 61]

20 minutes ago, Cyclone said:

Almost every set of traffic lights has a secondary repeater set...

Although usually the repatear is on the right and not very far from the stop line

[Cyclone 10]

Generally the right yes, but sometimes even further from the stop line.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4016236,-1.4990927,3a,75y,279.75h,90.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-Rn1Nj69m8PiRL0YwepQPA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[DT Ralge 10]

 

I’ve even seen drivers turning right only to face others’ secondary red light and getting confused by them.

Such confusion often happens not because they are hopeless drivers but when a driver is in a daydream and on autopilot, not fully aware of his/her surroundings.  

This is easily sorted (if anyone is bothered): when stood at your red light, register how much of others’ red lights you can see (work it when you will get your green) and whether anyone with you in other lanes to your side or ahead of you on the other side of the junction has/or could have a filter light.  In short, instead of being away with the fairies seek out information, be actively engaged in the driving task, even when stationary.

[carosio 186]

1 hour ago, Cyclone said:

Generally the right yes, but sometimes even further from the stop line.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4016236,-1.4990927,3a,75y,279.75h,90.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-Rn1Nj69m8PiRL0YwepQPA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

If the set I was highlighting was transposed into your image, it would be 3/4 on the way to Ripley street.

[Cyclone 10]

10 hours ago, carosio said:

If the set I was highlighting was transposed into your image, it would be 3/4 on the way to Ripley street.

Perhaps.

 

I do know the one in Brightside, it's on my route to Meadowhall and it's never caused me any confusion...  I'll look more closely to see if the lights are somehow not in sequence the next time I pass it though.

[Eater Sundae 12]

 There is another reason why the pedestrian crossing does not have separate lights and it’s own stop line, and that is that drivers may look ahead (thinking the far light is part of their road junction lighting) and set off when it goes to green. A problem where different sets of lights are close together.

 

There is a light controlled pedestrian crossing on Halifax Rd, just above it’s junction with Doe Royd Lane.  On a couple of occasions several years ago (probably 5+) I was emerging from Doe Royd Ln, on a green light, when a car coming up Halifax Rd went through his red light. In both cases they actually set off, so I assumed they were looking at the far light (forgetting about the ones close to them) and set off. As it had happened twice, and I thought I knew the probable reason, I reported it. Later on, I saw they had fitted angled blinds at the pedestrian lights, so drivers do not see a green light until they are close to it.  

 

Although I think it must make it hard to get a balance between stopping car drivers from seeing the green until they are close, and allowing HGV drivers who are higher up to see the green without having to be very close.

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Eater Sundae

[carosio 186]

Cyclone, I don't think you'll notice anything unusual in daylight, it's just that when I past through on Good Friday around 9pm (dark of course) with hardly any traffic around, the lights must have turned to amber as I was crossing the stop line , to be confronted with the second set turning to red as I reached it.

Edited April 21, 2019 by carosio

[Eater Sundae 12]

Although lots of light controlled crossings have lights at the far side of the junction, some newer ones don’t. I don’t know why some differ. For example, at the bottom of Crookes Rd at Broomhill. If emerging from Nile Street, intending to turn right towards Witham Rd, then once you enter the junction and have passed your stop line and green light, you don’t know the status of the light. Not a great problem, but I do feel more comfortable if I can see a repeater light.

Edited April 21, 2019 by Eater Sundae

[Eater Sundae 12]

Another one without any repeater lights beyond the junction...

 

Heading along Holme Lane from Malin Bridge towards Hillsborough corner. The traffic lights near Towsure allow pedestrians to cross (with stop lines for both sets of traffic, so it can be interpreted as a free standing pedestrian crossing, maybe).

 

However, the lights also form part of where trams turn onto Holme Lane and vehicles emerge from Ball Rd. Once you’ve passed the lights at the pedestrian crossing, there’s nothing to remind you that you’re still in a junction.  Having said that, it does seem to work, with nothing much except box junction markings.  However, traffic travelling along Holme Lane in the other direction does get a repeater, before seeing the pedestrian crossing as a separate set of lights. (I don’t know if the sequence of the lights will mean that drivers going towards Malin Bridge from either Holme Lane or Ball Rd would ever go through a green light to then see a red light at the pedestrian crossing)