Blue light on *back* of stoplights?!

John N · #1 10-04-2003, 10:21 PM

Around the greater Seattle area I've noticed some fairly bright blue (reminds me of blue LED) lights on the back of some stop lights. Anyone have any idea what that is all about?

Thanks,

-john

Saaby · #2 10-04-2003, 10:29 PM

It's probably to help cops catch red light runners. Here they don't have blue lights on the back of stoplights, but they have white lights with a glass around them (So you can see them 360 degrees) that come on with the red light at some of the more busy intersections. This allows the police officers to sit around the corner and then pull out and nab somebody for blantant red light running.

On the subject of red light running, here's one of my favorite online stores:

http://www.redlightrunner.com/

iddibhai · #3 10-04-2003, 10:35 PM

could be for EMS. emergency vehicles have transmitters to clear the road lights ahead for them, and when cleared, they will go blue (those things on top of the pole). at least that is ahwt i read.

John N · #4 10-04-2003, 11:04 PM

Saaby,

Sorry, I didn't understand your description. Wouldn't the police be able to tell the light was red because it is green in the direction they can see?

Oh, and I don't get how the name redlightrunner.com relates to the stuff they sell.

Did you know after all this time I didn't realize that your icon was Apple related? Only when I saw it on the watch at that store.... :-O

-john

John N · #5 10-04-2003, 11:09 PM

iddibhai,

The sensors for EMS appear to be little black thingies sticking out on the top of the light arms themselves. They look like little air horns, but I would assume are directional light sensors. AFAIK, they are triggered by xeon strobes on the EMS vehicles.

When I've seen the blue lights, no EMS was approaching, so it seems like at the time normal traffic flow is in effect. My assumption would be they would only need a visual clue if the system had set all lights to red.

It does seem likely that they have something to do with EMS settings tho.

Hmm.

-john

TheBeam · #6 10-05-2003, 12:02 AM

Where are these at? I have never seen one.

John N · #7 10-05-2003, 12:40 AM

The one that sticks in my head is a bit north - In front of Lynnwood Fred Meyers, 44th Ave W. and 196th St SW I think. I noticed it driving east on 196th.

-john

Saaby · #8 10-05-2003, 01:11 AM

John, I don't think the name relates to the stuff they sell, but talking about red light runners reminded me of redlightrunner.

And the answer to your question is no. Tell me the next time you find a light where the second N-S turns red E-W turns green. There's usually a 2-3 second delay which is where people run red lights. Furthermore, the white light makes it so the guy getting the ticket can't contest it saying the cop couldn't see the red light because he was around the corner.

The white lights are on little poles that stick up *above* the light. They're just little white lights with a fresnel type globe around them and no blcoking device, so they have a 360 degree viewing angle, as opposed to stop lights that have a 90 degree (or less) viewing angle.

James S · #9 10-05-2003, 06:40 AM

I think thats a great idea. In my first trip to traffic court since I was 16 (when I was 16 it was my fault as I really was speeding [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] but most recently it was because I let my license plates expire 3 days before I was pulled over for it, boy, they never give a guy a break, FYI it was thrown out after I showed the judge my new registration, but I still had to sit through a day of court) I saw 3 different young gentlemen try to argue tickets for running red lights.

In each case the ticketing officer was around the corner from them and not in the oncoming lane and in each case the kids said something to the effect of "there is no way the officer could have seen when the light turned red from where they were stopped" and in each case the judge looked at the police officer and said "well?" and the police officer said "Your honor, I could clearly see the lights change from where I was stopped" and the judge believed him in every case.

It would be interesting to sit through a week of traffic court and just see if anyone has ever been successful in arguing a traffic ticket with a police officer [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I suspect not.

But something like this would remove at least some of the doubt. I don't doubt that young men would continue to want to argue but it would probably take even less of the courts time as the officer wouldn't have to talk, just nod his head...

TheBeam · #10 10-06-2003, 01:28 AM

John N

I know right where that's at. I'll check on it soon.

There's 2 reasons I don't like the Lynnwood area. First, is because they put those yellow cement snakes down the middle of the streets instead of a regular turn lane. Second, there are cameras EVERYWHERE! No joking, some intersections have 6 cameras, and 2 more in the middle of the block!

James S

One time I got a ticket in Seattle for "following too close too a bus".
I took it to this joke court we have down here. I tried to explain my side but, he wasn't interested in hearing my story, wouldn't let me finish. The judge said "guilty" and told me to leave. (I think they must give everyone 20 seconds to tell their side of the story.)

Well, I apealed and won.
This time I did not invite the officer. The cop had told the other judge(under oath) that he did not see me until I was right in front of him, at a 90 degree angle, and that it was raining.

My argument(and what really happened) was that the bus pulled into my lane, right in front of me without signaling. So, yes I was close to the bus for a few seconds while I let up off of the gas, moved my foot over to the brake and applied it, I also had to look in my mirror to make sure that if I had to stop fast, I wouldn't get rear-ended. The judge threw out the case and gave me my $110.00 appeal fee after I showed him a report from the NOAA that there had been no rain that day or any previous day of the month.

James S · #11 10-06-2003, 08:56 AM

TheBeam: What a fantastic story of triumph! A siren call for all of us wrongly accused [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The weather report was a fantastic thing to bring along. I can see how a judge might just assume that it was raining in Seattle!

I wonder if it would be considered bad form to post the badge number and name of the offending officer somewhere. After all you have been completely vindicated in the eyes of the law and the officer LIED about the rain. we can't just post accusations, but you've got it on paper from a judge, so it's real.

We really should be tracking the people that abuse their position.

TheBeam · #12 10-06-2003, 09:20 AM

The part of him lying really made me mad. I wonder if "I" would have been charged with purjury if I was the one to lie?

Oh well, that was a few years ago. I'm going to go stare at those blue lights in Lynnwood today. Maybe I should or shouldn't try hitting one with a laser.

TheBeam · #13 10-06-2003, 05:15 PM

I went to visit the Lynnwood Fred Meyers parking lot today.
Saaby is correct, it's to catch red light runners. The blue light comes on about 1/2 a second after the light turns red.

John N · #14 10-06-2003, 10:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
TheBeam said:
There's 2 reasons I don't like the Lynnwood area. First, is because they put those yellow cement snakes down the middle of the streets instead of a regular turn lane. Second, there are cameras EVERYWHERE! No joking, some intersections have 6 cameras, and 2 more in the middle of the block!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yah, it's a VERY bad design.

I noticed that about the cameras too. Any idea what gives there? EVERY intersection has at least four cameras.

-john

Brock · #15 10-08-2003, 12:52 PM

I know they put cameras up in places they tend to have accidents. Actually the insurance companies tend to pay for them. They can then find out who exactly did what in an accident and know who's fault it really was and who's going to pay for it. Much cheaper then 1000's of hours of court battle.

Quickbeam · #16 10-08-2003, 03:01 PM

When I was in Bermuda, I saw that the traffic lights take care of the little "red light running" problem that occurs after a light turns red.

When the light is red to one street and green to another, the yellow light all the way around the signal turns on before reversing the green/red signal (so now one street has green/yellow on and the other red/yellow). So EVERYONE knows that the light is in the process of changing.

The result? As soon as that yellow light appears to the folks waiting at the red, they apply the gas! The folks at the green screech to a halt in anticipation of the red, and to avoid crashing into the folks who are at the red and starting into the intersection in anticipation of the green (impatient buggers!). [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

iddibhai · #17 10-08-2003, 04:06 PM

QB, i noticed that in england earlier this month when there. quite a good idea. very disciplined drivers there to boot!

Banshee · #18 10-27-2003, 06:40 AM

Found this referenced on my other forum....thought it would apply here!

http://www.detnews.com/2003/commutin...a01-307303.htm