You're probably aware of my frequent ramblings on here about the appalling drivers in Leeds, in particular with regards to traffic lights, where it's considered perfectly acceptable to run the light 5 seconds after it's gone red.
However, a new technique is now being practised at pedestrian crossings, where if the light's red and there's no one on the crossing, you just drive across. Watched a whole stream of cars doing so in Headingley, and got beeped myself for stopping and waiting until it turned green.
Is there ANYWHERE with worse drivers than Leeds?
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Yes, almost anywhere East of Suez plus Greece!
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Yes. St. John's Wood.
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It's frightening isn't it..........this WILL become the norm everywhere.......because.... there are minimal traffic cops....
and the other ones are instructed to stick to priorities that do not include traffic work..........(or various other crimes that we'd all prefer they did deal with)
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I thought you only had to stop if the car in front stops?
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>>I thought you only had to stop if the car in front stops?
Yes, I find this generally makes for a safer driving experience ;-
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M40 J15 with A46 and A429
Lights turn red and the A46 bound trucks keep on thundering through, and through, and through. Joining this roundabout from the A429 I watched a Saxo come within a few feet of becoming Paxo as a convoy of three juggernaughts doing a good forty MPH all jumped their red. I can guarantee that on every occasion I use this roundabout, I'll see at least one red runner.
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.........Saxo come within a few feet of becoming Paxo ..........
LOL!!!
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That's what happens when you have a rogue state that uses traffic signals to slow down the flow of traffic and create congestion, people treat the signals with contempt. This includes pedestrians who are often made to wait until a slug of traffic arrives that the signals can deliverately bring to a halt. Many people just cross while the slug is held at the lights 100 yards back which is the time when the green man should have been on. It's a topsy-turvy New Labour world we live in.
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That's what happens when you have a rogue state that uses traffic signals to slow down the flow of traffic and create congestion
Sometimes true, but in this instance, I wholeheartedly disagree.
The A429 is a major truck route, at some times of day these vehicles outnumbering cars.
The roundabout in question is huge, and multilane - four, I think, in one place.
Without signals the same trucks that annoy me by being the major red light runners wouldn't have a cat in hell's chance of pulling on to the roundabout safely.
As it happens, the same junction is currently subject to a major planning review including building of bridge to alleviate some of the traffic and keep it safely flowing.
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There has always been a problem with bad or careless drivers running red lights. A certain notorious traffic light junction in Bristol (Falcondale Road in Westbury-on-Trym) had so many accidents that it had cameras installed several years ago.
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On the A309 at the Hinchley Wood cross roads where there is a old style red light camera.
Assuming that it should flash to take a photo, it has not worked for years.
It is the norm for vehicles to charge down off the railway bridge at well over the 40 limit and run the red light.
When crossing this dual carriage there is little vision on the right but the real saving grace is that it is in effect a slight hill start over the A309 else I feel certain there would be many accidents.
I have been unable to find out why this camera, which was installed at great cost for a good reason but appears to be dead.
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........... when you have a rogue state that uses traffic signals to slow down the flow of traffic and create congestion, ...............
Are you suggesting that that happens in Britain?
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L\'escargot.
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"Is there ANYWHERE with worse drivers than Leeds?"
In my experience there's nothing quite like Guildford.
Most of it's on steep hills and what seems like half the population is 80 in the shade - and they have forgotten their 1940s lessons on how to do a hill-start.
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............... seems like half the population is 80 in the shade - and they have forgotten their 1940s lessons on how to do a hill-start.
............ seems like you're an ageist young Southern whippersnapper, still wet behind the ears, and with no respect for his/her elders!
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L\'escargot.
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You're probably aware of my frequent ramblings on here about the appalling drivers in Leeds, in particular with regards to traffic lights, where it's considered perfectly acceptable to run the light 5 seconds after it's gone red.
I dare you to try it on the Tingley roundabout at junction 28 of the M62!
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L\'escargot.
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My sort of post.
It slates drivers in Leeds and lorry drivers! : )
Seriously, David is right, there is some sort of collective attitude problem in Leeds, I would love to understand the reasons behind it. Whether it's just natural Northern belligerence exacerbated by lack of any police I don't know, but it scares me whenever I go there. I used to live in London, and although the sheer volume of traffic is scary there, I get more worried driving up in Leeds.
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The frequency of running red light WILL increase as more traffic lights are erected up and down the country.
On a commute I used to do, a perfectly adequate T-junction that worked perfectly well with filtering etc, was festooned with a set of traffic lights. They were set to operate at all hours rather than have flashing orange at low traffic levels. Consequently, I was being asked to wait at a set of lights where 95 per cent of the time there was no-one else around.
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Another bad junction for this is M42 - A446 (Jn 9).
Count to five after the green light before crossing the M42 exit sliproad!
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The number of times I'm set at a red light with no other opposing traffic, or pedestrians crossing, it makes me wonder how much time I'm wasting. It is so tempting just to go through the red light in these situations as it would be safe to do so (as you can see nothing to hit!), but the desire to keep within the law and not set a bad example prevents me and most people from doing so. But many drivers are now adding a few seconds on the end of the amber-to-red change (particularly buses in London!) as they know that they can not only get away with it in terms of not getting caught, but also not getting hit. The trouble occurs when the red-jumping mentality starts on proper busy traffic lighted junctions, when drivers can't discriminate between these ones and the pointless ones.
If we had traffic lights only where we really needed them, and when they turn red it means that you need to stop otherwise you'll get T-boned, then they might get treated with the respect they used to have.
It is like speed limits that are set unrealistically low, they get treated with contempt and get ignored. This contempt spreads and then all speed limits, even the sensible ones (are they any left?!) get ignored.
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Put cameras on the lights, that will stop people. Three points and a fine gets people thinking.
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Put cameras on the lights, that will stop people. Three points and a fine gets people thinking.
There is a clearly sited free standing camera on one arm of the M40 J15 roundabout I referred to above, but it still doesn't stop drivers tanking through the reds. This includes truckies who if they don't use the route regularly will highly likely have GPS systems with camera overlay installed. With the camera so obvious, these facts considered, and the speed and momentum involved, most of the running is a wholly deliberate act.
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You're probably aware of my frequent ramblings on here about the appalling drivers in Leeds, ...........
I know there's some appalling cyclists in Leeds. They don't abide by any of the rules of the road whatsoever.
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L\'escargot.
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Cyclists obeying 'rules of the road'? Tee hee. They don't even obey the rules of the goddam pavement.
With honourable exceptions actually, although even those quite often ride on the pavement. But safely and politely.
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I generally observe the rules of the road as a cyclist,one place I do ride on the pavement is going into town,as it is so bike unfriendly it is positively dangerous.Which town?Leeds.
On a slight tangent to the original thread,why do the Police drive so badly in Leeds?Earlier I had to drive round one(unmarked car,uninformed officer) that had decided to stop in the middle of the road to use the phone.......I despair.
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>> You're probably aware of my frequent ramblings on here about the >> appalling drivers in Leeds, ........... I know there's some appalling cyclists in Leeds. They don't abide by any of the rules of the road whatsoever. -- L\'escargot.
Well, it's not me 'cos I ride on the pavement.
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Running red lights in Liverpool is an accepted part of the local culture...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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