how many people have done this!

flang

Having worked in the Traffic signal industry for over eight years I can confirm that flashing your lights does not make them change quicker! Temporary traffic lights either work on fixed time or fixed time with time extensions using a MVD (microwave Vehicle Detector) which is the box mounted on top of the signal aspect extending times if a vehicle is present. MVDs are effectively radar.
On fixed traffic signal sites, inductive loops are also used which are buried in the road surface detecting the metal chassis of the vehicle.

Flyboy152

Sorry guys but it is one of those urban myths; one I'd never heard of until just a few days ago.

Traffic lights are either controlled by a set sequence, by "inductive loops" buried in the road, or by "motion" or "kinetic" type sensors on top of the signal (that's the little "radar" type camera thing on temporary lights).

Flyboy152

flang wrote: »

Having worked in the Traffic signal industry for over eight years I can confirm that flashing your lights does not make them change quicker! Temporary traffic lights either work on fixed time or fixed time with time extensions using a MVD (microwave Vehicle Detector) which is the box mounted on top of the signal aspect extending times if a vehicle is present. MVDs are effectively radar.
On fixed traffic signal sites, inductive loops are also used which are buried in the road surface detecting the metal chassis of the vehicle.

Got there before me flang.

DCFC79

Never done it, not even seen nyone do it either

atrixblue.-MFR-.

ok as its sort of been given away now.

flashing your lights will not make any impact on the traffic light in any way shape or form. they are radar type (anyone with a snooper cam detector will get a false reading in towns because of radar from the traffic lights) if light influenced traffic lights we'd be in trouble how many street and traffic light are there at the avarage junction in town. the fradar senses movement you would have a better chance at waving at the traffic light than flashing your lights at it, mostly during daylight hours the traffic lights are on a timed sequence, then after a certain time the traffic light are automatically put onto radar mode via the lights control box. temp traffic lights are the same flashing your lights will neither influence or advance any detection. i have seen this proven in my signs lights and guarding training that i had, we darkened the hall room stood at the back and flashed a million candle watt torch at it the was fixed for no movement and attached to a chord that has a switch to activate it, it didnt influance the light in any way but as soon as we waved our arms it changed.

so save the life of your poor bulb!!! if the light miss reads your car movement and doesent change open door that should be enough to register and activate the light if that fails then the lights sensor is faulty or incorrectly set up.
bigger the vehicle more influence it has. hence why an ambulance on approach to one will set its sequence in motion as its sensed it from further afar.

Enfieldian

Nope, never done it and never seen it done.

Well, not in the last 20 years anyway.....

bigjl

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

ok as its sort of been given away now.

flashing your lights will not make any impact on the traffic light in any way shape or form. they are radar type (anyone with a snooper cam detector will get a false reading in towns because of radar from the traffic lights) if light influenced traffic lights we'd be in trouble how many street and traffic light are there at the avarage junction in town. the fradar senses movement you would have a better chance at waving at the traffic light than flashing your lights at it, mostly during daylight hours the traffic lights are on a timed sequence, then after a certain time the traffic light are automatically put onto radar mode via the lights control box. temp traffic lights are the same flashing your lights will neither influence or advance any detection. i have seen this proven in my signs lights and guarding training that i had, we darkened the hall room stood at the back and flashed a million candle watt torch at it the was fixed for no movement and attached to a chord that has a switch to activate it, it didnt influance the light in any way but as soon as we waved our arms it changed.

so save the life of your poor bulb!!! if the light miss reads your car movement and doesent change open door that should be enough to register and activate the light if that fails then the lights sensor is faulty or incorrectly set up.
bigger the vehicle more influence it has. hence why an ambulance on approach to one will set its sequence in motion as its sensed it from further afar.

However I think there may be an exception for the set of lights behind NGH, but the road only leads to a dead end by a school and the back entrance to the Hospital, and they certainly change slower if you just drive up to them, they change before you get to them f you have your blues on or flash your lights.

Is it possible that they retained the old tech on these lights due to their position and the benefit of the older tech in this one situation.

I know the road work lights back in Scotland in the late '80s where light sensitive, mainly because traffic lights where a novelty, the only ones for 120 miles where for roadworks!

vikingaero

I wonder if it's possible to make a radar emitter that will fool the unit into thinking there's more cars than just yours?

always_skint

flang wrote: »

Having worked in the Traffic signal industry for over eight years I can confirm that flashing your lights does not make them change quicker! Temporary traffic lights either work on fixed time or fixed time with time extensions using a MVD (microwave Vehicle Detector) which is the box mounted on top of the signal aspect extending times if a vehicle is present. MVDs are effectively radar.
On fixed traffic signal sites, inductive loops are also used which are buried in the road surface detecting the metal chassis of the vehicle.

Ahh, that's why they wouldn't change when I got out the car and started to :jup n down on the sensor strip while they were stuck on red.

mcjordi

ive done it.. but it must just be coindience that they changed LOL

also my blood repsonse car doesnt have a "black box" that changes the traffic lights... i wish.. still the old siren/lights bull horn.. and hope they move outta the way