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The Saga Of The 10 Minute Traffic Light
ow many times have you sat will not be hit by a truck
at a red traffic light for turning left onto the road you
5 or 10 minutes patiently are waiting on.
waiting for it to change to
green? Have you been intimidated Well, keeping you out of the way
by the honking horn behind you at is not the only reason the line
the red light? Have you noticed was put there. Very many low
that when a car comes to the traffic cross street
intersection from the other intersections have what I called
direction, the light changes “Traffic Controlled Signals”. The
almost immediately? Would you main road, where most of the
believe that there is a pattern traffic is flowing, will have a
here? green light as long as there is
no traffic trying to enter or
Well, rest assured, there really cross the main flow of traffic.
is a pattern. If there is traffic to cross or
enter the main flow, the main
Have you noticed the wide white flow is temporarily stopped by a
band of paint across the lane at red light and the crossing
stop signs and traffic lights? traffic can proceed in relative
It’s called a stop line. It is safety. When the crossing traffic
put there for your safety and the has moved on, the main flow of
safety of the people crossing in traffic is given the green light
front of you. It’s the indicator for as long as there is no
telling you where to stop before additional crossing traffic.
proceeding from a stop sign and
where you should stop and not How does this happen? Easy! It’s
cross at a red traffic light. The technology at its finest unless
exact position is selected to you drive a motorcycle.
position your vehicle where it
Next time you visit an do…keep the main traffic route
intersection with a traffic flowing. Stopping 10 or 20 feet
light, look at the road as you short of the stop line does,
approach the stop line. Very however, does give you a much
often you will see a rectangular better view of the red traffic
pattern outlined in what looks light and plenty of time to
like tar. The pattern on the road wonder how long it will take to
is about 6 feet wide and from 10 change to green.
to 30 feet long that ends at or
near the stop line. The stuff on The answer to how long it will
the road is not tar. It’s take to change has two answers.
actually an epoxy material that 1.The light will stay red until
seals a cut put in the road made you pull up into the detector
with a diamond saw. The cut was loop or
made to insert a few loops of 2.Someone coming from the other
wire that are connected to some direction is detected in the loop
electronics in the traffic light across the intersection.
control box found near the
intersection. The electronics The really good systems have two
make the loop into a metal loops on each side of the road.
detector. It tells the traffic One for through and right turn
controller when a car in the lane, and one for left turn lane.
loop. The problem comes when a Often, if the only vehicle
driver approaching a traffic detected is in one of the left
controlled intersection does not turn lanes, only the left turn
pull up to the stop line (where light will turn green and then
the detector loop is located). back to red and you still don’t
Their vehicle is not detected and get a green light.
the traffic controller does
exactly what it was designed to The answer is just too simple.
When you are the first vehicle at a motorcycle that is made mostly
a traffic controlled on non-steel parts, the light
intersection, pull up to the stop will change for you in a few
line so that your vehicle is seconds and you will be on your
detected! Unless you are driving way.
About the Author:
Martin R Meyer is the President of OdorXit Products. Their mission is to provide the highest quallity and safest products available. Visit their web site for more information at http://www.odorxit.com
Read more articles by: Martin R Meyer
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