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  1. #26
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    taxexile's Avatar
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    neverna
    Twenty-four seconds is a common time for each sequence.
    nonsense.

    there are many in urban areas and on the highways that are red for between 60 and 240 seconds.

    often controlled by a fat cop sitting and reading the newspaper in his air conditioned box at the junction and paying little attention to the traffic conditions outside, unless it is of course to harass a motorcyclist for not wearing a helmet or a motorist for stopping with the frontwheels over the white line.

    years ago traffic consultants were brought in from the uk to sequence the traffic lights in bangkok in an effort to reduce the ridiculous jams, back ups and blockages caused by red lights of 2 or 3 minutes. of course the thais would not be told how to do it and ignored all recommendations.

    the chickenheads have got no idea how to manage their traffic problems or reduce their disgraceful rates of road carnage. the idiots go into panic mode when confronted with a roundabout for fucks sake.

  2. #27
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Troy View Post
    There are some in Germany too.

    Personally, I don't see the need for them.
    That's because you are a pussy. You think it's safer for everyone to fall asleep at red lights without any information about when to actually go.

  3. #28
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    I could turn that around and say the countdown is for pussies who have no situational awareness and can't anticipate when the lights will change.

    Personally, I like the red+amber pause before green.

  4. #29
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Troy View Post
    I could turn that around and say the countdown is for pussies who have no situational awareness and can't anticipate when the lights will change.

    Personally, I like the red+amber pause before green.
    iMO the count downs are just common sense. If an alien came down from space and seen them both , they'd wonder why tf they aren't all count downs

  5. #30
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    I don't think aliens would bother too much about traffic lights.

  6. #31
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    the countdown lights increase your heartrate and stress levels, especially when stopped at a 120sec or 240sec red. you are raring to go, and when the lights finally change its like a grand prix start. all revving engines, lunatics on bikes, meatheads in their rusty pick up trucks and macho boys in their silly bmws. god help any old lady trying to cross the road as the lights change.

    the three colour system, red orange and green, as used in the more civilised parts of the world encourage a more relaxed wait and a less frenetic start, and give pedestrian stragglers at least a sporting chance to get to the other side unharmed.

  7. #32
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    the countdown lights increase your heartrate and stress levels, especially when stopped at a 120sec or 240sec red. you are raring to go, and when the lights finally change its like a grand prix start. all revving engines, lunatics on bikes, meatheads in their rusty pick up trucks and macho boys in their silly bmws. god help any old lady trying to cross the road as the lights change.

    the three colour system, red orange and green, as used in the more civilised parts of the world encourage a more relaxed wait and a less frenetic start, and give pedestrian stragglers at least a sporting chance to get to the other side unharmed.
    They do. But they make you pay attention which is important. The Thai's make it more lunatic than it has to be. If we had count downs in Canada , it wouldn't be the Indy 500 at every light. But ppl probably wouldn't be catching up on sleep at the light like we have now.

  8. #33
    . Neverna's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    there are many in urban areas and on the highways that are red for between 60 and 240 seconds.
    Actually, what I meant was that 24 seconds is common for each turn in the sequence. Yes, each side can stay red for 2 minutes or more.

  9. #34
    Thailand Expat jabir's Avatar
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    From a Brit perspective and armed with survival instinct, I like the countdowns. Better trained and disciplined than anything the Thais could come up with, approaching allows you to gauge whether you can safely pass if they're blinking, while you also have an edge in being able to assess traffic and conditions when taking off.

    From a Brit perspective based purely on safety and 2 decades of not knowing which retard is going to kill you or how, I would abolish countdowns, and traffic lights, and Thai roads, in the expectation that fewer people would die on buffalo tracks.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paleo Robbie View Post
    In the UK , its the norm these days to switch your engine off when waiting at traffic lights
    Somewhere in EU they issue a fine for not off the engine while on red...

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neverna View Post
    Twenty-four seconds is a common time for each sequence,
    What province?
    What I see everywhere is 45 sec (40+5) for each of 4 (5) directions...

    And where they changed the old 2-directions intersection to the new style (4x45sec) it results in remarkable queue not shown any time before - however, nobody (of the suffering queuers) refers nor complains ...

  12. #37
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Here is some clown in New Zealand who's mind was blown with seeing a count down timer. But hey. I agree with him. I had the same reaction in Pattaya


  13. #38
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    Revving up at the countdown and taking off can have major repercussions in Thailand.


  14. #39
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Per this video, Taiwan experimented with count downs in 2004. From green to red, accidents increased by 33%. But from red to green, accidents fell by 50%. Some techy invented a traffic light with just a timer in the red, and the US govt rejected it because they are pathetic fucking losers. Audi is making a system that will detect the setting of the traffic light and display it to the driver. So it looks like the Krauts will have a work around.

    Last edited by Backspin; 18-02-2021 at 12:16 PM.

  15. #40
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Gotta buy a kraut mobile.

    The Audi can even tell you if you have time to make a light or not.


  16. #41
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    The bottom line is that c u n t s will always try and get through the light just before it turns red regardless of what you do.

    The only effective solution is traffic light cameras and automatic big fines, preferably means-based.

    So you lose a week's pay if you go through a red light the first time, a month's the second time and automatic jail the third.

    THAT would have a significant impact on things.

    Oh, and the same regimen for people hitting you up the arse at traffic lights as idiots get used to it.

  17. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    Somewhere in EU they issue a fine for not off the engine while on red...
    Where?

    In Japan it is customary to turn off your headlights when stopped at red. Our cars shut down when stopped at red traffic lights.

  18. #43
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Where?
    My guess is it 'cannot be mentioned here'.


  19. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    cannot be mentioned here'.
    Like that one?

    You used the same line just 5 minutes later.

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    (we cannot mention here)
    Figured I would pull a Cy.

  20. #45
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    I believe the Swiss have a law that says you are supposed to turn your engine off at traffic lights to cut pollution, but how they enforce that fuck knows.

  21. #46
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Our cars shut down when stopped at red traffic lights.
    automagically?

    The most useful aspect of metered traffic lights in my opinion is that you'll know if it is worth stopping the engine or not.

    Compare with a bridge opening where almost everyone turns off their engine and starts it when the barriers has gone up, same with a railway crossing.
    There it is directly visible for the drivers how long time they have to wait.

  22. #47
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lom View Post
    automagically?

    The most useful aspect of metered traffic lights in my opinion is that you'll know if it is worth stopping the engine or not.

    Compare with a bridge opening where almost everyone turns off their engine and starts it when the barriers has gone up, same with a railway crossing.
    There it is directly visible for the drivers how long time they have to wait.
    I think these hybrids shut off the ICE part when the vehicle is stationary for a given period.

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Where?
    Wondering that you do not know, not so difficult as what the Thai Doctors wear...

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    My guess is it 'cannot be mentioned here'.

    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    I believe the Swiss have a law that says you are supposed to turn your engine off at traffic lights to cut pollution, but how they enforce that fuck knows.
    Bingo...

  24. #49
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    I think these hybrids shut off the ICE part when the vehicle is stationary for a given period.
    its called the " stop start system"

    thanks to the eu and their obsession with regulation in the name of improving the environment, it is mandatory on all cars sold in the eu and in the uk now.

    it increases the complexity of the engine management systems and their various components and hence the cost of cars, their maintenance and parts replacements with very little benefit to the environment. i used it for the first year i had the car and after the info system on the car informed me i had saved less than 500cc of petrol i de activated the system. it is a very annoying feature anyway, and does not operate if the air con, the heater, the heated seats, the steering wheel heater or the lights are on.



    Start-stop system - Wikipedia

  25. #50
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    its called the " stop start system"

    thanks to the eu and their obsession with regulation in the name of improving the environment, it is mandatory on all cars sold in the eu and in the uk now.

    it increases the complexity of the engine management systems and their various components and hence the cost of cars, their maintenance and parts replacements with very little benefit to the environment. i used it for the first year i had the car and after the info system on the car informed me i had saved less than 500cc of petrol i de activated the system. it is a very annoying feature anyway, and does not operate if the air con, the heater, the heated seats, the steering wheel heater or the lights are on.



    Start-stop system - Wikipedia
    Which is why Thailand is better than the nanny police states of the world

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