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l uwmmoocumua- ' nuts Warnin light 4 8 C Q l , Region says yellow light intervaLs are safe ' \ ' ,. ‘ w. ,» .. “ g. ‘, . Q 5 ’ "f l; i, -‘ ’- \\-\, as [1 it a w as n ._ ., . .. v ‘ ‘ 7» ~ ' ‘. >1 - â€"‘A\ \â€"A it? "er FU " Tu a .:- ix ,4.. . a, fi‘ - ,_ - w , ‘ “at. £2,125: 4 _ mmmmmmmmamuawmmigm intervals. so" ' 2:1”, «g ' , f ‘ "1; say thelrtimlng meets or exceeds provincial standards. “mm-mm ,- , . . 37mm 40-km/h mneand ending at When a light turns Ounniclestafi 5.2 seconds in an BO~kmlh yellow. drivers approaching zone. The organization the intersection are some- The Region of Waterloo assumed drivers are travel- times caught in what traffic says it times its yellow ling about 10 km/h over the experts call the “dilemma lights fairly and safely, posted limit. zone." There might not he " taking into account all the An increase in yellow enough time to make it , variables that can influence times would not necessarily through the intersection ' safe stoppingtimes. lead to fewer crashes or before the light turns red,hut " \ V” .. .. . .> “We are setting yellow injuries. Schmidt said. and not enough space to safely . ' ' “ appropriately, it‘s accounting the region already accounts stop, either. ’ ' ' ' “ ' ‘ ' 4' "W for the speed (and) it's for some real-world condi~ Schmidt said lengthening accounting for the length of tions by surpassing the the yellow would not solve time it takes for someone to provincial minimum. the problem because some perceive and react to a yelâ€" drivers would perceive the low,” said Thomas Schmidt, cum” enral change in time and adjust regional transportation com~ Y mew) their driving accordingly, It I missioner. 40 50 60 70 80 would also not solve the i “There isn't a safety con- problem of drivers slamming i cem related to the length of on their brakes for a yellow yellow lights here in the may“ and surprising a driver Region ofWaterloo.” 3 33 3 7 4 2 4 6 behind them, who thought Currently, the region sets ' ' ' there was enough time to the length of yellow lights â€"- drive through. 3 referred to as a yellow light new Lengthening the yellow interval â€" at four seconds in 4 4 4 42 5 4 interval would impact the 3 areas with speed limits ' carrying capacity of the ! between 40 and 60 kilome- NCHRP intersection, potentially ‘ (res per hour. The interval 33 3 a? (m leading to backups in other l increases to 4.2 seconds in a ' ' ' directions, he said. i 70~kmlh zone. and 5.4 sec- - “Extendin it would not .â€".- onds in an BO-km/h zone. 7T,” pr evince and the make things sgfer and would f . , . . region assume drivers are . . 23 The region has been cnti- tmwlli'ng the speed limit not necessarily reduce red 5 at. cized for not taking real~ while theNCHRP assumes light nmning." Schmidt said. i ;. worlddrivingconditions into drivers are travellin 10 On top of the four-plus f account. such as the fact km/h above the g seconds for yellow lights. the ‘ . . posted . 3 most drivers drive above the limit. All. three assume a region also employs a twee SAlE H 0 u R 6 posted speed limit. WWW time ofone 1,0 second all~red Signal to give Yet Schmidt saidWaterloo and. vehicles already in the inter ‘ ‘ . , ,_ a J . , meets or exceeds provincial section enough time to exit. a” ‘. 5,1. QED' if)? THURS'FRl' 108 SAT. gitâ€"1 SUN: 447.5 guideline recommendations Schmidt said it would be meaning there is actually a i If.“ " i 5} .»r . ‘ i " ' i ii. for the timing of yellow diliicultandexpensive to get gap of at least six seconds lights. The provincial mini» real«time data of vehicle between when the light first mum is based on a percepâ€" speeds for every intersection, turns yellow to when traffic 1 s ‘ tion time of one second and and he said evidence sug- in the other lanes get a " f' . assumes the driver is uavel- gests drivers on city routes green ling theposted speed limit. are going approximately the Drivers that enter an The region's timing is also posted limit. while others intersection while the light is : . . in linewith what the Nation- (such as those preparing to still yellow but exit after it “ al Cooperative Highway turn) are actually going turns red will not be ticketed. Research Program in the much slower. Only drivers who enter the " United States also suggested The design of streets intersection after the light ‘ in a recent report, influences the speed of trafâ€" turns red are ticketed. The NCHRP recommends tic more than light intervals. Schmidt said the times , an approximately five»sec- said Schmidt. ~ are constant throughout the - _, ? 0nd increase in yellow times He said wide-open roads region. whether their is a red E, for every lOâ€"km/h increase. tend to have higher traffic light camera at the intersec starting at 3.3 seconds in a speeds than in-town routes. tion or not. Q