Am I the only driver/operator who finds these signals so infuriating, the ones that turn a major dual carriageway red because someone on a scooter wants to come out of a retail park to the side?
If I recall my SAFED days it takes a litre of fuel to get 44 tonnes back up to 30mph.
That costs me about 90p several times a day.
Can we post on here the worst of these traffic light fiascos and maybe write to the relevant planners/ councils to try to improve things for ALL motorists?
There is no need to have traffic lights at every roundabout exit unless it is the rush hour.
You wait for a gap and press that pedal under your right safety footwear.
The last time I was in France I noticed most of the lights went to flashing amber ‘after hours’ ie. proceed with caution/common sense.
Does anyone else get my drift?
You wouldn’t expect a train to stop at a level crossing to let a car across, why stop hundreds of tons of freight on HGVs to let a moped out of of Focus DIY with a new bath plug?
The list of these unneccessary signals must be almost infinite.
I’ll kick off with two that have bugged me for years:-
The lights on the M1/M62 junction. ITS A ROUNDABOUT, anticipate a gap and aim for that ! ! !
J36 M1 A6195 Birdwell to Manvers, who designed that? 17 roundabouts? Was that prick on acid?
Nuff said
The problem with your post is that you have made the assumption that the average driver can negotiate onto and around a busy-ish roundabout without assistance from traffic lights.
Well then, much more stringent tests for every driver every five years, who’ll vote for that one?
mark j robinson:
Well then, much more stringent tests for every driver every five years, who’ll vote for that one?
Strange you should put it like that as any Government that introduces such a thing would be voted out at the next election - it’s political suicide
I’ll nominate a set of lights, in Cheshire the ones on the A556 by Roberts Bakery at Rudheath on the Gadbrook Park junction, someone on Gadbrook only has to plip a remote to unlock their car doors and the [zebbidy] lights change
can’t say I know them but ain’t it just something that makes a difficult job even more a pain in the ■■■■, I used to deliver round York, they had a motorised bollard sank into the road to allow buses past which must have had a transponder(?) to activate it? So why can’t a fully freighted lorry have priority over a tart in a mini coming out of toys’r’us?
Better still.
The ones on the A556 at the Smoker Inn.
Did a bit of work for a Company in Oakmere a couple of years ago, usually had an 05:30 start, so off I go at 05:00, every time I hit those lights they changed to red & not a single thing came out of Plumley Lane, nor was anything waiting to turn into it.
Always ■■■■■■ me off did that, whoever set those lights needs a good ■■■■ reaming. 
bugger me guys, 2 oot of 2 replies wiv a specific road and methinks sum ■■■■■■ in cheshire? council? wants a rocket iniz Y fronts ?
A4174 Avon Ring roadthey have just put a set in at the jn with the A420 balls up and then a new set at the end of the 4174 with the A4 Keynsham. They dont need traffic lights just a way of slowing traffic down on the roundabout
Boy racers comming at 3 o’clock at mach 6 
It all coes down to education.
They know kids will leave school and drive so why not do as they do in the USA Driver Ed Classes now that would make sence everyone would learn to drive safely and the basic pre vehicle checks they need to do and how to change bulbs etc
.
then have a truck go along so they can see the dangers
Many motorists cannot make their own decisions so need traffic lights to let them know what to do.
Thats why they follow other cars on M-Ways and A-Roads so close. They just brake when the car in front does. Its so simple i don’t know why everyone doesn’t do it?
Side-turnings are an absolute nightmare for some people. If they don’t receive a written invitation to pull out they will just sit there forever. Its the same with M-Way sliproads, I half expect some of em’ to open the window and start yelling hysterically “Let me in, for gods sake, pleeeease” as they trickle down the slip road at 45mph ignoring the enormous gap and waiting for all three lanes to stop for them and someone get out and officially ‘welcome them to the Motorway’.
mark j robinson:
J36 M1 A6195 Birdwell to Manvers, who designed that? 17 roundabouts? Was that prick on acid?
Nuff said
I couldn’t agree more there. The second you get up to a decent speed, you’re looming down on another roundabout. Then another one. By the time you get to the Cortonwood roundabout, you’ve had enough! 
hammer:
Side-turnings are an absolute nightmare for some people. If they don’t receive a written invitation to pull out they will just sit there forever.
You flash them out. They sit there looking blankly at you. You gesticulate that they can go. They sit there looking blankly at you. You flash again and again, motion with a hand that they can go. They sit there looking blankly at you, You have enough and carry on. They attempt to go, resulting in heavy braking and them glaring at you. Well, if you went three hours ago when I first indicated I was giving way to you, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
MrPanther:
You flash them out. They sit there looking blankly at you. You gesticulate that they can go. They sit there looking blankly at you. You flash again and again, motion with a hand that they can go. They sit there looking blankly at you,
I don’t do that any more - just ease off early and leave a gap that gives them the opportunity if they wish to take it - don’t stop them doing this…
MrPanther:
…carry on. They attempt to go,
Shouldn’t this be in the main forum?
mark j robinson:
Am I the only driver/operator who finds these signals so infuriating, the ones that turn a major dual carriageway red because someone on a scooter wants to come out of a retail park to the side?
Considering your from Doncaster I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned the A638. A set of lights every 50 yards, none of which work in conjunction with the others!
Stan
I can see the point of lights on busy r-a-bs, imagine you’re the one sitting at the end of the minor road fully freighted @ 44 tonne at 5pm & the main road traffic is non-stop, how you gonna get out? Try the Container base at Stourton, Leeds.
However i also agree with the “dumb ■■■ lights” thought. Some near me (M55-A6, Preston) are automated & only come on when heavy traffic flow is detected. Good idea! Flashing amber as used in many countries inc. Thailand is also good, as is left turn allowable on red.
There’s nothing more annoying than being stopped by a red light for several minutes at 4am when you’re the only vehicle for miles around. I’m really suprised at this in this age of technology, surely its not difficult to make the lights intelligent & realise you are there & that the other road is empty.
… Oh silly me, i forgot that the government have recently admitted that lights were intentionally set to do this so you burn more fuel = more tax revenue for them.
Don’t believe me? Check it out.
Stanley Knife:
mark j robinson:
Am I the only driver/operator who finds these signals so infuriating, the ones that turn a major dual carriageway red because someone on a scooter wants to come out of a retail park to the side?Considering your from Doncaster I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned the A638. A set of lights every 50 yards, none of which work in conjunction with the others!
Stan
Yep Stan, thought I’d just kick off with those 1st two to get the ball rolling, but the A638 between the new bridge and the Barnsley turn I avoid like the plague during the day.
I chanced it the other day 7am. got caught on a red, bottom of the bridge at roundabout, northbound with a HEAVY box on. Green, 2nd low box, block shift 4th, past the Sprotbro’ exit, amber, red. 3 cars got thru overtook me, 40 tons lighter. Then that next 2 miles to the Barnsley turn, lights for Morrisons, 2 retail parks and another 2 or3? side roads off the dual carriage.
Shouldn’t all these lights be ‘peak time’ only ?
Very similar with that new J27 M62 fiasco. Left the M62 at J27 having come from Bradford, want 3rd exit for Morley (A650 Wakefield) This used to be ONE roundabout, Now its FOUR SETS OF LIGHTS ! !
And Finally Cyril?
Finally Esther…
Who of all the users of our roads deserves £millions & millions of public taxes be spent so that they don’t have to endure a stop at Chain Bar roundabout (bottom of M606 for M62 East)?
Freight drivers having to pull 44t. with 16 sp. manual box from a standing start, up that STEEP slip road ? ? ?
No no silly, Gladys and Flo from Bradford in their nice little Micra who fancy a look at the sales at Leeds White Rose and can use that smashing new two+ car lane.
Exitting Chorley North Business Park to go back to M61 southbound…Yet another example of where the planners would rather we negotiate 8 sets of lights as well as 2 roundabouts- I know they might be a bit of help at 8am and 5pm, but are these on 24/7 as well does anyone know?
Upto a 100 sets of lights in London are to be switched off in order to help traffic flow.
ROG:
The problem with your post is that you have made the assumption that the average driver can negotiate onto and around a busy-ish roundabout without assistance from traffic lights.
weve done it for years so why do we suddenly need traffic lights to help us?
the french system is good because traffic very rarely gets held up at night.
Maybe this overkill with lights is something to do with that old chestnut of Health & Safety and what worries me now is that they’ll never dare switch 'em off in case someone gets killed and then sues relevant authority, but if people ie. car drivers (as previous posts suggest) need lights to tell 'em when to go then I say REVOKE THEIR LICENCE ! If there were HALF the qualified drivers on the road, we would be valued for the service we provide and the masses would have to walk cycle or get the bus.
And when my time comes as to be deemed not competant enough to control whatever I’m driving I’ll gladly retire, I’ve probably done as many hours as someone on a 37 hour week retiring at 65