Yellow light duration

[Proprioceptive]

So as some of you might have noticed, I posted a thread about a red light I ran yesterday. I kept wondering to myself whether it was my imagination or not that the yellow light seemed so short, so I went back this afternoon while running some errands and timed it myself. I clocked that sucker at 1.8 seconds. That seems crazy fast to me, so I did a little hunting online and found out that the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) suggests yellow lights be at least 3-6 seconds depending on the posted speed limit. I also read that safe practice dictates at least .5 seconds for every 5 miles an hour of the posted limit. Now, since I was in a 30mph area, I'd expect at least a 3 second light... but it only lasts 1.8.

Yes, I know I'm nit picking, but seriously, I'd like to avoid any points on my license and I thought I might mention my findings to the judge on my court date. Anyone else have any ideas or persona experience with this here?

 

[mb]

Wasn't there an article about a city that was sued for shortening yellow lights to gain ticket revenue? I'll see if I can find it...

OP below.

 

[Chronoshock]

Why do you think you're so important that you had to make a new post? Just edit the other thread and update the title

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: mb
Wasn't there an article about a city that was sued for shortening yellow lights to gain ticket revenue? I'll see if I can find it...

OP below.

Maybe this will help

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: Chronoshock
Why do you think you're so important that you had to make a new post? Just edit the other thread and update the title

Eh, same difference.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
So as some of you might have noticed, I posted a thread about a red light I ran yesterday. I kept wondering to myself whether it was my imagination or not that the yellow light seemed so short, so I went back this afternoon while running some errands and timed it myself. I clocked that sucker at 1.8 seconds. That seems crazy fast to me, so I did a little hunting online and found out that the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) suggests yellow lights be at least 3-6 seconds depending on the posted speed limit. I also read that safe practice dictates at least .5 seconds for every 5 miles an hour of the posted limit. Now, since I was in a 30mph area, I'd expect at least a 3 second light... but it only lasts 1.8.

Yes, I know I'm nit picking, but seriously, I'd like to avoid any points on my license and I thought I might mention my findings to the judge on my court date. Anyone else have any ideas or persona experience with this here?

at the very least, I think the judge will be impressed by your research and will likely reduce the fine.

 

[theflyingpig]

Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) suggests yellow lights

Suggests or mandates? You should confirm this before taking your findings to the judge, otherwise he/she will most likely rule against you because, as we all know, tickets are a scam for the city and if there is nothing compelling him to do otherwise, the corrupt judge will simply ignore your plea.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive

Originally posted by: mb
Wasn't there an article about a city that was sued for shortening yellow lights to gain ticket revenue? I'll see if I can find it...

OP below.

Maybe this will help

That about sums it up... I found http://photoextortion.com/ and http://www.freedomworks.org/ne...iting-short-yellow-lig


~2 seconds is way too short to be legal or safe.


Perhaps you could record the lights changing? And find out if there is a mandatory minimum or just suggested times.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: theflyingpig

Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) suggests yellow lights

Suggests or mandates? You should confirm this before taking your findings to the judge, otherwise he/she will most likely rule against you because, as we all know, tickets are a scam for the city and if there is nothing compelling him to do otherwise, the corrupt judge will simply ignore your plea.

I'm not completely sure, but from what I've read it is SUGGESTED. However, I am currently in the process of checking out local regulations. We just recently had red light cameras installed in our town, and I'm going to check their yellow light times compared to the others around it... after reading a lot of the articles regarding light timings, I'm curious.

 

[mb]

Sounds like they are trying to get their moneys worth from those red light cameras by shorting the yellow lights. I hope you win b/c that sounds like some BS.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
So as some of you might have noticed, I posted a thread about a red light I ran yesterday. I kept wondering to myself whether it was my imagination or not that the yellow light seemed so short, so I went back this afternoon while running some errands and timed it myself. I clocked that sucker at 1.8 seconds. That seems crazy fast to me, so I did a little hunting online and found out that the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) suggests yellow lights be at least 3-6 seconds depending on the posted speed limit. I also read that safe practice dictates at least .5 seconds for every 5 miles an hour of the posted limit. Now, since I was in a 30mph area, I'd expect at least a 3 second light... but it only lasts 1.8.

Yes, I know I'm nit picking, but seriously, I'd like to avoid any points on my license and I thought I might mention my findings to the judge on my court date. Anyone else have any ideas or persona experience with this here?

:thumbsup: I hope to see you in the newspaper. Email your local "gotcha" news reporter.

 

[DaTT]

Originally posted by: Chronoshock
Why do you think you're so important that you had to make a new post? Just edit the other thread and update the title

Same reason you thought you were so important to get a +1 post count by posting your piece of mind

 

[jlee]

Unfortunately everything depends on the judge (even the same ones aren't always consistent, so it's hard to tell), but a 1.8 second yellow is really short. I'd seriously consider taking it to court and see if you could at least lose the points - again it may depend on which side of the bed the judge got out of that morning, so it's your call. That's a really fast yellow, though.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Okay, went out and RE-timed it. It's apparently 2.0 seconds exactly with every other light on that street being 3-4 seconds at the same or lower speed limit... so I'm going to get a small video clip of it, contact our city to find out their traffic light regulations and bring said evidence to court. I hope the judge doesn't take it as me trying to be a smart-ass... I just don't want the points on my license.

 

[DaTT]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Okay, went out and RE-timed it. It's apparently 2.0 seconds exactly with every other light on that street being 3-4 seconds at the same or lower speed limit... so I'm going to get a small video clip of it, contact our city to find out their traffic light regulations and bring said evidence to court. I hope the judge doesn't take it as me trying to be a smart-ass... I just don't want the points on my license.

Would the extra second actually have made a difference in your red light fun?

 

[AMCRambler]

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Okay, went out and RE-timed it. It's apparently 2.0 seconds exactly with every other light on that street being 3-4 seconds at the same or lower speed limit... so I'm going to get a small video clip of it, contact our city to find out their traffic light regulations and bring said evidence to court. I hope the judge doesn't take it as me trying to be a smart-ass... I just don't want the points on my license.

Would the extra second actually have made a difference in your red light fun?

Probably would have made it through the intersection before the light went red, so yeah it would have.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Okay, went out and RE-timed it. It's apparently 2.0 seconds exactly with every other light on that street being 3-4 seconds at the same or lower speed limit... so I'm going to get a small video clip of it, contact our city to find out their traffic light regulations and bring said evidence to court. I hope the judge doesn't take it as me trying to be a smart-ass... I just don't want the points on my license.

Would the extra second actually have made a difference in your red light fun?

It absolutely would have.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Okay, went out and RE-timed it. It's apparently 2.0 seconds exactly with every other light on that street being 3-4 seconds at the same or lower speed limit... so I'm going to get a small video clip of it, contact our city to find out their traffic light regulations and bring said evidence to court. I hope the judge doesn't take it as me trying to be a smart-ass... I just don't want the points on my license.

Would the extra second actually have made a difference in your red light fun?

If you were approaching the intersection and sneezed while the light was green and about to change it would be red by the time you're finished sneezing.

 

[lupi]

Originally posted by: mb

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive

Originally posted by: mb
Wasn't there an article about a city that was sued for shortening yellow lights to gain ticket revenue? I'll see if I can find it...

OP below.

Maybe this will help

That about sums it up... I found http://photoextortion.com/ and http://www.freedomworks.org/ne...iting-short-yellow-lig


~2 seconds is way too short to be legal or safe.


Perhaps you could record the lights changing? And find out if there is a mandatory minimum or just suggested times.

safe yes, but have you seen any actual laws or code that would effect legality of it.

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
So as some of you might have noticed, I posted a thread about a red light I ran yesterday. I kept wondering to myself whether it was my imagination or not that the yellow light seemed so short, so I went back this afternoon while running some errands and timed it myself. I clocked that sucker at 1.8 seconds. That seems crazy fast to me, so I did a little hunting online and found out that the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) suggests yellow lights be at least 3-6 seconds depending on the posted speed limit. I also read that safe practice dictates at least .5 seconds for every 5 miles an hour of the posted limit. Now, since I was in a 30mph area, I'd expect at least a 3 second light... but it only lasts 1.8.

Yes, I know I'm nit picking, but seriously, I'd like to avoid any points on my license and I thought I might mention my findings to the judge on my court date. Anyone else have any ideas or persona experience with this here?

It's not nitpicking. Rules are rules. The city needs to abide by them just as the citizens should. Thoroughly document what you've found and the judge may rule in your favor.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: lupi

Originally posted by: mb

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive

Originally posted by: mb
Wasn't there an article about a city that was sued for shortening yellow lights to gain ticket revenue? I'll see if I can find it...

OP below.

Maybe this will help

That about sums it up... I found http://photoextortion.com/ and http://www.freedomworks.org/ne...iting-short-yellow-lig


~2 seconds is way too short to be legal or safe.


Perhaps you could record the lights changing? And find out if there is a mandatory minimum or just suggested times.

safe yes, but have you seen any actual laws or code that would effect legality of it.

Well, some places do have their own legal limits, but I haven't found any numbers for my area just yet.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Okay, went out and RE-timed it. It's apparently 2.0 seconds exactly with every other light on that street being 3-4 seconds at the same or lower speed limit... so I'm going to get a small video clip of it, contact our city to find out their traffic light regulations and bring said evidence to court. I hope the judge doesn't take it as me trying to be a smart-ass... I just don't want the points on my license.

Would the extra second actually have made a difference in your red light fun?

From the sounds of things, it would increase the duration of the yellow by over 50%. That's pretty significant..

 

[LTC8K6]

He was ticketed by a cop, iirc. Not a red light camera.

 

[fleabag]

The minimum duration in California for a yellow light is 3 seconds for 30mph speed limit, with an increase in one second for every 10 mph, to a 50mph road would have a 5 second yellow light. Anyways even if the light turns red, so long as your front wheels are over the white line for the cross walk before it turns red, you're legally alright. (The point being that you can't get a ticket for being in the intersection when the light turns from yellow to red)

 

[waggy]

yeah i would record the light witha camera. Then go into court with the regulations that show this is not safe. there is a good chance that this gets thrown out