It would appear that way.

And...how bizarre but there was a small article on traffic lights and congestion in todays free paper-spooky.

Here's the Telegrap running the story...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtm...eacarbon116.xml

 

Another gripe I have about traffic lights is the insistence of littering our road ways with pedestrian crossings. FFS people, do you really need a crossing on a single carriageway road. Use your brains and eyes instead to navigate your way across the road. Sure you need them in some places, but the vast majority could be removed.

People who walk up to a crossing and push the button without looking at the traffic need shooting in the face. They push the button, then sure enough there's a gap in the traffic and the person crosses, but when you get to the lights they go red and you sit there waiting for no one to cross in front of you. Selfish pricks

 

Like the one near Halfords on the A33 .. take a big, flowing roundabout where a dual carridgeway meets a single road, and turn it into a set of lights, with tiny filter lanes that only allow 2 cars to move early, stopping you doing a legal U-turn.

I don't get why there needs to be a ped crossing and bus stop (which isn't indented into the footpath, so it blocks traffic) every 100m either. Walk FFS!

 

How are you finding the Exige in traffic, mate?

I like traffic lights in the Elise because I know short of a Lambo or decent sports bike that I can cleanly get into whatever lane I want without being bothered.

 

Lights are a complete pain however I am fine with them during rush hour because it keeps the traffic flowing and makes congested areas a little more fair.

However a flashing amber during non rush hour is a great idea and I know areas of Italy / France and Spain operate this way.

The other night I was at the A41 / M25 junction and it was around 11.30pm and I was caught at 3 sets of lights, delaying me by 5 minutes and there weren't any cars!!!

What a complete waste of time!!

 

Grrrr.....that one really grates me. Basically the major route from the M4 into Reading (the A33) now has traffic light at five junctions before you even get onto the IDR. Which moron thought that was a good idea

 

The problem is that most drivers cant think, so therefore lights are the only alternative! I see some drivers sat at roundabouts (and junctions) waiting for a written invitation to go! They just dont have the nerve to go for a gap that is quite clearly there!

I dont like them but i just wonder how big queues would be without them! Having said that how annoying is it when you wait at traffic lights which are 20 yards before the roundabout and there is nothing in front and nothing on the rounabout!

As for the States, another good idea at junctions is that you can turn right even if the lights are on red. Makes sense as you look if anything is coming then go, should do that over here for us when we're turning left although guess we dont have as much room for extra lanes like they do..

 

So there are no Evos, Scoobies, Nobles, TVRs, Marcos (I could go on) in your neck of the woods, Gaz?

 

We even have lights now on several junctions of the M1 near Sheffield which they use during rush hour to hold cars on the sliproad before they join the motorway..!

 

No motorbikes round there either?!