how many people have done this!

atrixblue.-MFR-.

OK so you aproach a traffic light temp or fixed in the dark and you flash your lights at it :rotfl:hoping itll give you next priority. how many of you do, have done, exactly that

i see loads upon loads do it taxi's, busses, lorry's, your avarage car and motor bike.

ive done it!

what do YOU get out of doing it, has it ever changed quicker for you?

Kilty_2

Sometimes, with temp traffic lights because they're the only ones that tend to react to it.

Others don't.

mikey72

Yes.
Most temporary lights have a box on top that reacts to the light, so main beam triggers them earlier.

bigjl

The vast majority of traffic lights in and around London now have sensors that sense cars in off peak periods, rather than just run to a fixed time period all the time.

Some just stick with the simple pressure pad.

One that is very easy to spot is the set of lights behind Newham General Hospital, they have had a sensor fitted for years.

I believe there was a move to these "intelligent" traffic lights in many areas of London over the last 8 or 10 years.

I am surprised that you weren't aware of this.

Strider590

I was on the understanding these things operated via infrared pre-emption devices attached to emergency vehicles.... I mean why on earth would they operate on the standard wavelength of headlights, when they can just as easily be operated ONLY by emergency vehicles fitted with a simple infrared emitter?

The dark coloured lens/cover on the device on top of the lights certainly looks like an infrared only filter, as they have a dark/red tinge to them.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Strider590 wrote: »

I was on the understanding these things operated via infrared pre-emption devices attached to emergency vehicles.... I mean why on earth would they operate on the standard wavelength of headlights, when they can just as easily be operated ONLY by emergency vehicles fitted with a simple infrared emitter?

The dark coloured lens/cover on the device on top of the lights certainly looks like an infrared only filter, as they have a dark/red tinge to them.

unforutunatly not they are radar.

(those who have done thier signs, lights and guarding training please comment after a while i want to find out how many people do this for curiosity purposes)

mikey72

to be fair, I've done it from the 80's, they probably were light sensitive then.

davehills

mikey72 wrote: »

Yes.
Most temporary lights have a box on top that reacts to the light, so main beam triggers them earlier.

The box on the top works by doppler shift radar-nothing to do with light.

You are wasting your time flashing your lights!

bigjl

Strider590 wrote: »

I was on the understanding these things operated via infrared pre-emption devices attached to emergency vehicles.... I mean why on earth would they operate on the standard wavelength of headlights, when they can just as easily be operated ONLY by emergency vehicles fitted with a simple infrared emitter?

The dark coloured lens/cover on the device on top of the lights certainly looks like an infrared only filter, as they have a dark/red tinge to them.

There is no such device in the UK, they have a system that is used in the USA, but I don't know anything other than one showed up in CSI a few years ago.


The ones that I know to have sensors fitted, I didn't think they were PIR. However the one at NGH Hospital, if you flash your lights they change from a distance much too far away for PIR tech I would have thought. However this one may be light sensitive so that the blue lights on Ambulances approaching the Hospital with a priority call activate the lights to change from a much further distance, and therefore may be the only set that still work that way, I have driven up to them without flashing the lights and not using the blues, such as when going home etc and they only went green when you had come to a complete stop, night or day, when you approach and flash the lights then they change before you get to them, night or day.

It is entirely possible that they have gradually changed the older sensors that operated on lights for a potentially more reliable PIR system. Or as some have said a radar based system. If that is their job to know these things then I defer to your greater knowledge.






And I will keep flashing them, it gives me something to do.....................

Though the ones near my house in Essex only have the pressure pads for off peak, I once had to get out and tell the old dear in front that if she didn't pull onto the large rectangular shape outline on the road we shall be here all night she was genuinely shocked, she just thought the lights were always very slow there!:rotfl:

Strider590

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

unforutunatly not they are radar.

Some yes, but most are now controlled by hall effect sensors under the road.

The road work lights are the one's im talking about, they don't use radar, they're just timed.... Radar would be impracticable on temporary lights because the local environment, lay of the land, buildings etc etc all need to be taken into account.

mikey72

davehills wrote: »

The box on the top works by doppler shift radar-nothing to do with light.

You are wasting your time flashing your lights!

When I started driving even Star Trek didn't doppler shift.