Countdown To An Accident ?

[Tufty]

What's happened to the countdown seconds on all the traffic lights

It made it so much easier to get across the road when you could see how long it would be before the lights changed

Did they cause more problems/accidents because drivers anticipated a delay and would jump the lights or taxi's would turn left and do a u turn when they really wanted to go right

I assume they were initially installed to speed up the flow of traffic but somebody decided they didn't work

On the plus side I have noticed some new pedestrian lights on the junction of 2nd and south road but they haven't been switched on yet, I hope they prove a success and get installed on all junctions

I suppose it's too much to expect traffic lights on the suggested crossing points around town, after all us pedestrians only rank 3rd after cars and motorbikes

[thaiflyer1]

Did they cause more problems/accidents because drivers anticipated a delay and would jump the lights or taxi's would turn left and do a u turn when they really wanted to go right

Thats about the size of it i reckon.

[COBBER]

Probably just broken down and nobody doing anything about fixing them. They seemed to be deteriating progressively before they went out completely.

[Tywais]

Did they cause more problems/accidents because drivers anticipated a delay and would jump the lights or taxi's would turn left and do a u turn when they really wanted to go right

Thats about the size of it i reckon.

See that often in Chiangmai where the cars will start moving into the intersection on about the 2 second count.

[monsieurhappy]

The Thais couldn't cope with knowing how many seconds they could sleep before having to move off on the RED!!

[astral]

Before the counters there used to be 2-3 second delay after the light went green,

now it is a 2-3 second delay after the ZERO is reached.

I have not noticed at jumpers, YET.

[sriracha john]

One of the most common reactions I notice as the clocks count down to 0 is that people will keep zooming through even after it actually hits 0 because they know it will be 160, or whatever a particular intersection is set at, seconds before it turns green again. I guess the risk of smashing into a cement truck in a T-bone accident is outweighed by the agony of having to wait 2 or more minutes.

From what I've heard, the original idea was to shut off the engines and save fuel during the red lights.

Despite some of their drawbacks, I prefer them.

*although... as the "jumpers" are getting more brazen... and the "late-comers" are being later and later through the intersections... it truly is as the post's title indicates.

Edited September 22, 2005 by sriracha john

[RDN]

....I guess the risk of smashing into a cement truck in a T-bone accident is outweighed by the agony of having to wait 2 or more minutes....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's the "Never Die" windscreen sticker that protects them.

[barryofthailand]

heres the real story. The counters have been sent back to the USA for repair. Unfortunately, like so many other things preventive maint. program was forgotten. When they finally broke it was too late.

Barry

[bartender100]

New traffic lights seem to be spruting like mushrooms around Pattaya,none are working yet