intersections Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Flashing Yellow Arrow Signals

Daun Thompson — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 04:25:53 +0000

You’ll have noticed that, when turning left in an intersection, the traditional green signal lights are being phased out and replaced with flashing yellow arrow signals, letting drivers know that they must yield to oncoming traffic when turning left (in case you didn’t already know that, right?). Research has shown that this new signal is a safer, more efficient and a more consistent approach for left turn lanes. It has been the standard in England and Canada for quite some time.

While it may be found that this is a safer approach, I doubt that I am the only driver who misses those green arrows in left turn lanes. If there is heavy oncoming traffic the left turn lane should always get a green arrow to move some of the congestion out of that lane (which is usually backed up into the next lane for a mile!). At times, I have found that I am better off to go through the light, do a u-turn on the other side of the intersection and turn right onto the street I am trying to route to, but this too can be dangerous in heavy traffic. And, in some cases, u-turns are illegal. As for me, I try to avoid intersections altogether if I can help it, or at least the ones where the left turn light goes to red, then a yellow flashing arrow and back to red.

I do realize that the change, as they say, is all about safety and consistency. But now that they seem to be active just about everywhere, you may want to bring a razor in the car with you. Because, although you may leave the house clean-shaven, by the time you get to work, you’re guaranteed to have grown a full beard.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Flashing Yellow Arrow Signals – Comedy Defensive Driving

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PAPARAZZI or CAMERA LIGHT FLASH?

Daun Thompson — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:10:26 +0000

I just got my first camera light ticket. Better a $75.00 camera light ticket than a $285.00 ticket from a policeman, I thought. It was in my own neighborhood, so if it were from an officer, I would just have driven to my house and ran up to my porch and yelled “BASE!” they hate that. I knew they put a camera light in that particular intersection because I have seen it in action around 2:00 a.m. I’ve been sitting at that red light when no one else is around, and those strobe lights are just going off arbitrarily. Just flashing away…kind of like the Paparazzi…so I always smile when I’m going through that intersection because you never know…it could be the Paparazzi. It could happen to me. Someone said they had seen me on T.V. around 4:00 in the morning and asked me “Didn’t you used to be somebody?” I love that line and am considering putting it on a business card. But I’ve really never had an encounter with the Paparazzi. I remember when Princess Diana was killed by the Paparazzi. My sister Karla called me, very upset, and she said “I don’t understand why that big Italian opera singer wanted to kill Princess Di.” Duh…that’s Pavarotti, silly. So, I had noticed the camera light in that intersection at night, with the lights flashing, but it was not as noticeable by day. And that’s when I got my camera light ticket. Most camera light violations are issued because someone is taking a right on red and they don’t come to a complete stop. By complete stop, they mean your car has to settle. So, if you have spinners on your wheels, I guess it looks like you never stop. That could get very costly. But not mine, I was blowing through that intersection at a yellow light. I know that because they send you a link to their website where you can watch a video of yourself performing that violation. I don’t know if it was me, though. It could have been my daughter or my boyfriend. They cannot show the images of the passengers since there are too many people having affairs in my town (no kidding…it’s apparently been a problem so they blur out faces). Many cities have chosen to ban the use of camera lights. In my city, they installed more last fall. Some people believe camera lights prevent accidents, while some believe they cause more. Most of us think a solid yellow light means speed up. That’s why there are such high impact crashes in intersections. And, if there’s a camera light in that intersection, you don’t want to be in that Kodak Moment!
Until next week…
Daun Thompson

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Camera tickets – Big Brother is always watching!

Lisa — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:11:18 +0000

I’ve had a few students in Defensive Driving that have received red light camera tickets and speeding tickets by camera in Arizona. Do you think red light cameras are a good thing? Some people do and others don’t, the ones who don’t are usually the ones who think the yellow light means “SPEED UP!!” But come on, what’s next?? What if the municipal, state or federal government wanting to install cameras in our vehicles just to make sure we are not doing anything illegal. OK, I know that’s not even in the same ball park, but what if??

Back in 2007, Richland Hills, Texas shorten the yellow light time from 3.5 seconds to 3 seconds at one of their intersections that has a red light camera. In June of 2007 the intersection at Booth Calloway Road and Glennview Drive had 1,440 citations for running the red light. In July, they had 1,911 and in the month of August – 1,387. After the local Fox 4 news ran the story, the city changed it to 3.6 seconds, guess how many citations they had in September…….321. Redflex, the company who makes these cameras and the 35 cities in Texas who use them are making a killing! Who scratches who’s back??

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for what ever makes the roads safer. Maybe it’s supply and demand, if we weren’t running the red lights, there wouldn’t be a need for the cameras. Do your part, no more running red lights! Next time you go through an intersection or the light turns green, look both ways….it just might save your life! Let me know what you think.

Until next week, be safe and take care.

Danny Keaton

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