Ngl I was worried the whole time they were parked since he was talking about how it's a dangerous intersection. Never a good idea to stop at an intersection!
I seriously don't get what all the cop hate is about. Yeah, there are some bad cops out there. They are managed by county officials who keep winning reelection every year and refuse to pay for improved training or enforce penalties for poor behavior. But it's not universal. And again, if everyone hated their county police so much, why keep reelecting the same sheriffs and county legislators? People have so much control over their own police, it's insane. You don't have to win a national election to change the police. You literally just need to win over the people who live next to you in your same county. They aren't far away. Just get out of your home, walk over, offer them a cup of coffee, and talk about who you should be electing for office. The way people complain about police, it's almost as if they want LESS direct power over their county officials. Are people really so bad at talking to their neighbors that they want someone from across the country to come in and deprive their community of their democratic power to elect their own government? Do people really want a dictator to save them from themselves? It really seems like it.
@@Mathignihilcehk No everyone is a combination of crazy and stupid and no one gives a shit. Society is an illusion. No one is in control. There is too many people, too many opinions, too much cognitive dissonance in the minds of the common folk.
I like it because it throws at least a little shade on the idea that nobody in the government cares about the country. Traffic engineers care about the country.
@@TeachAManToAngle right? His video quality and production quality are way beyond his sub count. For any infrastructure nerd or even casual viewers he's awesome. Keep it up Rob!
While way better than no warning, I think the use of smarter systems with very simple signals for us monkey drivers seems better. I guess the problem may be that a light blinking for 5 seconds won't fail as much as plastic radio beacon.
I was living in Austria for 1.5 years and driving was so much better with the blinking greens. You have plenty time to brake slowly and safely. I wish we had this here in Hungary. There are also a few traffic lights in Győr that have timers next to them, which is pretty cool IMO.
As a truck driver I appreciate the crosswalk signs in many American cities that have either a countdown timer or a warning flash. I use them to decide if I can make a green safely.
In Poland, they did that as well (or at least wanted to, not sure if they did in the end) but made it illegal to pass on yellow, so the green blinking just replaced the yellow light, really. It's stupid and probably only serves to ticket foreigners who aren't aware of this stupid system.
Video idea: roads with too many signs. In Pennsylvania it can be confusing and hard to read signs while paying attention to the road, when the signs are hiding behind other signs and objects.
My mother pointed this out to me years ago. A lot of drivers slow down on the highway as they pass the big overhead signs because they're diverting brain power and attention to reading the signs. Some people even light up their brake lights but have no idea they're doing that.
And roads with too few signs! Oftentimes I turn onto a road and don't see a speed limit for several miles, so I just have to guess and hope for the best.
They should also tell you that it’s better to just barely run a red light, as there’s usually a several second delay between the other part of the intersection turning green and cars moving because of it, than to slam on your brakes and get rear ended, like almost happened with the car and the semi in the video. There’s much more time than ppl think there is
I dunno, that could be dangerous. In my college town, when I heard that the lights through the center of the town were timed to all change at the same time to match the speed limit, I discovered that you could also hit every green light doing double the speed limit !!!! :-P
My dad was a truck driver for my entire childhood, including when I was learning to drive. He taught me to pick a "bingo" point when approaching a green light. If the light changes to yellow before you reach your predetermined bingo point, you will be stopping for the red light. Once you pass the bingo point, no matter what the light does, you won't be stopping. This technique also allows you to begin paying attention to the intersection, rather than worrying about what the light is doing when you're approaching the collision zone of an intersection. Driving this way was very helpful when I started driving Semi trucks, and I still use it regularly when I'm in my car.
Is this what adulthood is? I see a video on traffic light radars and I know it'll probably be the best part of my day? Great video as always Rob! You continue to kill it with these, I found this topic extremely fascinating.
I've worked with radar before and creating a working radar that faces towards the ground is extremely difficult. The fact they've done it is extremely impressive.
In the past, I'm sure some TH-camrs would make a video like this with stock footage, reading from a Wikipedia article more or less. Rob's videos get right on the scene, with informative and amusing graphics clearly illustrating his message. This is interesting content, well presented! If I saw you standing on a corner in your safety vest here in Portland, I'd make sure to say hi, Rob!
True. This myth likely exists because motorcyclists are willing and able to push their machines limits, and use all its braking force, while studies have shown average car driver is almost allergic to stopping force. They'll hold back pedal pressure and not stop with anywhere near full capacity. They even experimented with braking systems that required less pedal force, and drivers simply reduced force even more. Average driver has no idea how quickly a car can be made to stop, and don't seem to realize ABS means they could stomp on brake with all tbeir might and car will simply stop safely and at max capacity. Sad and scary. If you're not a driving enthusiast, please do everyone a favor. Go to empty parking lot, go about 25mph, and absolutely slam on brakes as hard as you can, without letup until full stop. Do this several times. Then do it yearly as a reminder. Let your brain premap what max braking feels like, so when you need to do it, you won't hold back. Note, of your car is so old it doesn't have ABS, then you're an automobile enthusiast, and experienced with what happens when you exceed tire traction while braking.
Rob, There is typically PVC conduit(s) that run from the base of the traffic signal to a quazite / electric junction box near the main traffic controller. There usually run additional conduits for future use where they can run additional wires as needed with just a fish tape.
Man, it's like you've been doing this your entire life! I saw old news clips of you but I think you just have literal raw talent. Road Guy Rob has quickly become one of my top 3 favorites.
Have had a few of these over the years resulting in two (fairly light thankfully) rear-ends and in one case a pickup shooting by on the grass to the right of me. Part of the problem is the split-second of indecision can mean that you end up braking later and harder than you would if you knew for sure you were going to have to stop.
Hey Rob, greetings from Germany, your videos give a fascinating view into american road traffic, its crazy how different it feels for somebody knowing traffic in Europe, but then even here it feels different from country to country.
Same thing here, it's different from state to state sometimes!! Every state is s different country withing a Large one. Greetings from a Nicaraguan living in the US. Auf Wiedersehen 👋🇳🇮
I dated a German for several years when I was younger. There were several things that drove her crazy about American drivers. Barely any use their turn signals and almost everyone camps out in and blocks the passing and turning lane (left lane on any divided highway). She would yell at drivers who changed lanes or slowed down to turn without warning. She thought they were dangerous scofflaws.
@@PhilLesh69 What’s also so annoying is when drivers pass you on the right on the highway or someone you want to overtake is driving slowly on the left lane. It’s strictly forbidden to do that in Germany - they take your drivers license away for up to 3 month!
@@simonkraemer3725 Passing to the right on wide highways is only forbidden because it is dangerous, and only dangerous because it is forbidden. Once you break that circle, it is perfectly OK to pass to the right side, and it makes more effective use of the roads possible. Especially those 4-5 lane wide (per direction) highways around cities are used very ineffectively when passing to the right is forbidden, and they rightly noticed that in the USA and made it allowed to pass on the right. When that is allowed, eveyone watches the lane when they move to the right, and it is no longer dangerous.
@@Rob2 Well, no this rule makes sense, it’s also forbidden in the US to pass someone from the right, except in certain circumstances; the police just never enforced it. Besides having freeways with 4+ lanes doesn’t make much sense (after three lanes you have to think about better mass transit), you can get in dangerous situations when driving slow on the left lane. People that want to speed have to pass slower moving cars in zigzag courses, every lane change means a higher risk of collisions. A study showed that driving 5mph faster on the left lane is less dangerous than driving 5mph slower. With a strict enforcement of the no-passing-on-right-rule in Germany, we can maintain a highway system without any speedlimit with less fatalities than in the US.
Your channel has been so entertaining to watch, I swear every time I've been out driving the past few days the lessons of these videos has been in the back of my mind
As a former urban studies major, you bring amazing storytelling to one of my favorite fields! And make me laugh out loud. Thank you! Super Proud Supporter of yours on Patreon. #tacosforroadguyrob
Grand island nebraska has the warning flashers on alot of lights and they're awesome. It starts when the light is still green even. Slow comfortable stops
Yes, works in sand storms. This same tech is in smart weapons and a technology called synthetic aperture radar. It basically creates images using radar waves and can see through clouds / storms / sand storms, etc... The latest weapon using this is in-fact called "StormBreaker" because it works in all weather conditions.
You do notice the extension if you pay attention to the crosswalk signs here in Ohio. When in that zone driving and the crosswalk stops blinking I know it added that extra second or three! If theres no cross traffic, the crosswalks automatically cycle back to white instantly if they don't go red instantly when you're still farther away; all telltale signs of this few second extension feature. I always read those crosswalk numbers for an idea how stale the light is and imagine they've designed them intentionally that way?
It's kind of an accident and can work if you're familiar with the intersection. It is by no means a rule though. It can be programmed to have a longer green than the pedestrian phase. Also there isn't anything on the market that extends the maximum green timer, if you hit it the signal goes yellow even if the radar says someone is in the bad place.
When I went to Mexico in the 90s, I noticed the green light would blink five times before it turned yellow. That would be a cheap solution to get rid of the dilemma zone discussed here.
Blinking greens mean something else in the US! Although they aren't used much, it indicates that the intersection is a crosswalk only, no crossing vehicle traffic.
In some places in Europe the blinking green light is used as well, e.g. Austria. In many other countries I saw displays counting down the seconds. This also appears to be a much cheaper solution. I wonder if the radar-based solutions has other advantages, which justify the effort.
5:00 the thing about these flashers is they're not always timed the best. There's one near my house and when it's starts flashing, you have about 5 seconds of flashing where you will make it. So what's the point?
People could also look further down the road, and see whether that far off light has been green for a while, or if it was red and recently switched green. But too many people just can't or won't do that.
Here in Brazil some cities started using traffic signals which are countdown signals, so you always know how much of a green light you still have. I´ve always wondered why this hasn´t expanded worldwide, there´s got to be a catch, but my experience with them is great. Most of the problems go away when you know exactly how much time you have left.
Edmonton, Alberta NEEDS these detection thingies... I did some UberEats last night from 3-5AM and stopped at SO MANY red lights despite no cars coming from any direction at all.
That’s because the loops in the pavement where you live are set to trigger red lights. It’s the exact same thing where I live. There could be no cars anywhere on the intersection you pass that loop and boom you get a red light.
Popular misconception: cars equipped with proper tires will ALWAYS brake faster than motorcycles. High braking g forces seen on a street sport bike are .8 but cars routinely hit 1.1-1.2 (1.1 common, 1.2 on extra sticky low tread wear tires)
my personal rule of thumb is: if I would have to brake hard to stop, then go, because that is what the yellow light is _for_ is to prevent the whole suddenly-have-to-stop problem.
This is the best, most honest traffic technology channel I have fver seen. Straight talk, knowlegable, and eschews the "car-bashing, let's -all-ride-magical-bikes culture" that so many people engage in just because it's popular. This may be the very first YouTbbe channel I would consider supporting on Patreon!
Looks like you're becoming a bit of a celebrity with the police fan interaction. That's awesome! Just like you said, I don't think you can top that! Nothing better than having law enforcement officers on your side! Of course they had no trouble spotting you with your signature green collard shirt, bright orange vest and microphone. Great video as always! Look forward to watching more!
There's this one stretch of street in the city nearby my house that has this problem. Often, when I'm driving, signal after signal will be turning yellow at the worst time. Sometimes I think the street just doesn't like me.
Great video! I've noticed countless times where a green light "helpfully" turned yellow right as I was passing underneath it. I figured it was thanks to some sort of advanced detection system, but never knew any of these fascinating details.
Why not just have a big countdown display above the traffic signal? That way everyone could figure out what to do individually. A loaded semi might want to get ready to stop sooner whereas someone driving a car might know to speed up a bit to make the green.
If you watch signals from other countries they have these and they also have green lights that flash when they are stale. In the USA the revenue is needed from tickets and body shops also need the business
Cost, cost, cost? It'd be a novel device, so it'd take some getting used to; might have resistance from some people. Adding another electronic device to the bar is probably not cheap (materials, road closures, integration, ongoing maintenance, etc) and you have to do thousands and thousands of intersections. Or, plug in this radar thing and ... done? No learning curve.
I would love to see these everywhere, or the warning flashers. I drive a truck and my company punishes me if I brake too hard. One time at roughly 2am on a quiet GA hwy, speed limit was about 50mph. No traffic approaching the intersection but me and the light turns yellow and 3 seconds later it was red. I got a ticket and a chewing out by my safety guy who said I had plenty of time to stop and I could have killed someone. I was right in that questionable zone.
It's conceptually no different from a regular left turn lane except the median is really wide; the left turn lanes are so far separated from the rest of the road that there's apparently no risk of being sideswiped. It's just that this one is really close to a three way interchange (that is, that is the last level crossing before merging with another freeway, or the first crossing encountered after exiting), so imagine not having the traffic light there. Because that's exactly what it was like several years ago.
There are underground plastic/PVC (usually somewhat flexible, small diameter, usually in clusters 2-10 pipes depending on the needs), that connect every traffic device to the traffic cabinet. I work in a county transportation department. I locate those underground conduits (the tubes) nearly everyday, spray paint and flag them, so no one digs them up during construction.
How about a yellow line across the road approaching the light. If you are doing the speed limit and across the line when it turns yellow, you should continue. If you haven't crossed the line, you should stop.
I've noticed that the prepare to stop warning signs where I live are set up so you can safely make the green, if you're paying attention. If you're doing the speed limit (in this case 80km/h) when you pass an imaginary line that runs across the road between the prepare to stop signs, you'll hit the stop-line at precisely the moment that the signal turns amber. Problem with drivers where I live is that they treat the prepare to stop lights as an actual yellow and I've seen many times people coming to a complete stop at a early amber or GREEN LIGHT. I always thought the prepare to stop lights were intended for trucks, not light vehicles.
They use underground conduit runs to run the wire across the street, that also house a plethora of other under ground stuff like fiber optic and coaxial cable runs. It’s likely they used conduit only for the intersections equipment and wiring needs though as most modernized stuff has it’s own built in runs. If it doesn’t or other runs aren’t available to use, it may run through drainage or sewer lines. It’s pretty cool to watch them run wires through conduit. They attach the wire to a pig, then blow it through the conduit with highly pressurized air to the other end. Never disappoints. It’s quite satisfying for some reason unbeknownst to me.
need them asian lights with the light count down timers so you know how much time is left. works great. even a dial showing time going to empty would work.
Interesting, really informative video and the police jumping in was awesome! I wonder if these radar systems can also be used to change lights faster when they observe a vehicle exceeding the posted speed limit. I would say that I observed this very phenomenon except that I have no way to verify that it was happening in that way and not simply because I exceeded the speed limit for a fair distance and that caused the lights to seemingly change sooner. I'm talking about a difference of 5-10 MPH max...not extreme considering it was very early morning and almost zero traffic. One light changed rather quickly to yellow, plenty of room for me even though it went red as I drove under it, I then noticed the very next light changing as well even though there was no cross traffic near the light. It was a main thoroughfare so it seemed likely to me that they might have done this.
Interesting! Also, to answer your question about running the wire, from my limited experience working with traffic lights I believe there are wire conduits that run under the street, which allows you to replace the wire if need be without having to dig up the street. You just require a very, _very_ long fish.
Nebraska puts really handy solid white lines at intersections that mark the approximate location of the end of the indecision zone, so if you haven’t reached the solid white line, you know you should probably stop on the yellow. We also have flashing yellow lights on busy roads, but it would be nice if there were more of them...
LAPD Officer: This is a dangerous intersection Also the LAPD Officer: But I'm gonna stop right here anyway because I'm a cop and the rules don't apply to me
@@dynasty0019 That is true, but I don't see a LEO making a citizen contact, I see a private citizen making a personal, social visit with someone of notoriety
If you ever post a video on the subject, it'll be interesting to hear your thoughts on diverging diamond and reduced-conflict intersections. I like diverging diamonds but hate reduced-conflicts. Only place I've seen RCI used is in Minnesota where it encourages farm trucks to slowly dawdle across multiple lanes of traffic.
Rob, I wonder what pedestrian walk-signal countdowns do to this situation. I'm in a big city where they're on every block. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen drivers hit the brakes well *before* the light turns yellow! I have a dashcam + just uploaded a 20 second example clip. He hits the brakes when the countdown still has 3 or 4 seconds on it! I'd be really interested to know what you think of this situation, Rob!
"I was driving lights and sirens and got T-boned at this intersection" means "I failed to properly clear the intersection before proceeding though the red light".
I have to say this is one of the most underrated TH-cam channel around. You put out some awesome videos with quality that far surpasses many other TH-cam channels. You are passionate about the topics you cover and you do such an amazing job with every video. I love watching your videos Rob, you should absolutely have 2 million subscribers as you put out some of the best videos on TH-cam. I love watching the videos you put out and learning about things I didn't know anything about. Keep putting out these awesome videos!!!
To answer the question at 14:25 to get the wires under the street, most properly installed signal systems use a dedicated pipe to act as a tunnel and they just push the wires through the pipe. Some intersections are done with overhead wires and they just run them across the wire the signals hang on.
Your one of the reason why driver especially these turning hates pedestrians. Technically your j-walking when you start crossing after the stop hand or counter starts
I found this channel by mistake and thought this guy is crazy. Now I can't pull myself away from the channel. He is really cool and knowledgeable. I worked in ADOT Traffic Operations Center for 6 years and wish I knew about this then. He make perfect sense. The LAPD Officer was really cool also!
If you want to explore those advance "Prepare To Stop" flashing light warnings, come have a look at Skyline Boulevard (California State Route 35) in and around Pacifica. The area can be notoriously foggy and these warnings can tell you of a red traffic light that you can't even see far enough in front of you when the fog is thick. Good video! Thanks!
Roundabouts have their place, but the take up a lot of space which can be a problem at already established intersections surrounded by businesses. Either that or they're far too small and suck trying to navigate a truck through.
Just add 3-4 seconds before the other light turns green. People will always run red lights . I think the point of no return is different for everyone. It depends on so many different factors like your personal life, what kind of car you drive, where you live, etc. Honestly I think it would be better if every light had the same timing so individuals could make their own decisions.
Canberra has I good system that tries to eliminate the "bad zone" where as you come up to traffic lights you can see the pedestrian crossing light. If its green you have plenty of time to cross with your car, if its flashing indicating that pedestrians should no longer start cross you know that there is a yellow light coming up so you should slow down. I don't know if it was intentional design or they just lucked out, but its pretty handy
In the UK we mostly just use loops on approach to lights. Two loops are placed close together, and at multiple locations on approach to lights, usually 2 or 3, but can be 4 or more at busier roads. Having two loops together allows the controller to work out the length of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle. We also use IR cameras in addition to loops for detection of bicycles on approach to junctions too. Although that being said radar systems have started to be deployed too. But its too much of an issue here, because it is rare to find traffic lights anywhere you would be going faster than 40mph anyway.
You should always be aware of vehicles in your rear view mirror. Especially when approaching intersections. This way you know if a vehicle is right behind you before a decision needs to be made. The same practice is good in residential areas; if there were several vehicles parked on the roadside a pedestrian could appear quickly; it's important to gauge speed according to how much time we have to react, and factor in any vehicles following close behind by reducing speed further to account for the additional delay in reaction from the driver behind. Another good practice is to move away from blind spots created by roadside obstructions allowing space for a pedestrian appear that is not directly in the path of your vehicle. Likewise, approaching an intersection where another vehicle is approaching, or stopped, at the intersecting street; just move the foot from the accelerator to the brake without pushing the brake and steer around the vehicle anticipating that it may not stop. The only way to account for our delay in reaction time is to always provide a buffer of space that allows 2.5 seconds to stop or react. When steering around is not an option it is always appropriate to reduce speed; therefore, important to know the proximity of vehicles around you all 360 degrees. Just by slowing enough to allow buffer space, congestion on highway off ramps could be significantly reduced by allowing vehicles to merge into the exit lane without stopping in the fast lane to wait for someone to let them in. Traffic would travel slower, more steady, and overall faster because it would not stop entirely. Self driving cars, or vehicles with automated safety features, could be programmed to enforce this driving practice and would overall reduce traffic congestion and accidents. Simple rules; proximity and speed differential. Avoid proximity at high speed differential.
I have seen a couple of your videos before , this is the one I subscribed on , two reasons , I liked your interaction with the cops , I was expecting them to hassle you , and two and the most important reason , you used a door bell tone that was off tone , and it didn't disturb my dog at all , and she responds to even the quietest door bell , but the tone you used was perfect . Yes If you please my dog you please me , lol . Your videos are pretty good too , informative .
At first I thought the cop was gonna give you a hard time about filming or something. It was pretty cool when he fan-boyed you instead.
Ngl I was worried the whole time they were parked since he was talking about how it's a dangerous intersection. Never a good idea to stop at an intersection!
I seriously don't get what all the cop hate is about. Yeah, there are some bad cops out there. They are managed by county officials who keep winning reelection every year and refuse to pay for improved training or enforce penalties for poor behavior. But it's not universal. And again, if everyone hated their county police so much, why keep reelecting the same sheriffs and county legislators? People have so much control over their own police, it's insane. You don't have to win a national election to change the police. You literally just need to win over the people who live next to you in your same county. They aren't far away. Just get out of your home, walk over, offer them a cup of coffee, and talk about who you should be electing for office.
The way people complain about police, it's almost as if they want LESS direct power over their county officials. Are people really so bad at talking to their neighbors that they want someone from across the country to come in and deprive their community of their democratic power to elect their own government? Do people really want a dictator to save them from themselves? It really seems like it.
Super cool!
@@Mathignihilcehk No everyone is a combination of crazy and stupid and no one gives a shit. Society is an illusion. No one is in control. There is too many people, too many opinions, too much cognitive dissonance in the minds of the common folk.
Sad but too many angry cops have created that reputation.
Bro this is a whole ass TV show on youtube for free. Good work.
I like it because it throws at least a little shade on the idea that nobody in the government cares about the country. Traffic engineers care about the country.
@@cr4zyj4ck I'm pretty sure the rank and file care, it's the higher ups that seem to care less.
Road Guy Rob is easily the most underrated TH-cam channel, and he still gets noticed on the street
Agreed. Only 60k subscribers? He deserves way more. Great content and great delivery.
The
@@TeachAManToAngle right? His video quality and production quality are way beyond his sub count. For any infrastructure nerd or even casual viewers he's awesome. Keep it up Rob!
@@paulblackman8159 I agree, The
There is something oddly satisfying about seeing his channel get far more views than he has subs though.
Road Guy Rob, the only guy to get stopped by police to get thanked for his public service.
well, you also have post10
@@Azivegu I did not expect an overlap between RGR and Post 10 viewers, but yes, you're totally right.
@@PowerElectronicsBlog clogged culverts or dodgy stoplights, I really don't see the difference.
@@Azivegu Ah, yes, clogged stoplights and dodgy culverts. ... I should probably go to bed.
I thought the police were going to give you a hard time about filming without a permit or something. Awesome to see they're fans!
don't need a permit to film on a public sidewalk in USA :D
@@MoonLiteNite isn't the First Amendment great
Yeah change a few words and comment the same thing as someone else. Ur so original
In Austria, our traffic lights blink green for 5 seconds before changing to yellow. Pretty much like an integrated warning system.
While way better than no warning, I think the use of smarter systems with very simple signals for us monkey drivers seems better. I guess the problem may be that a light blinking for 5 seconds won't fail as much as plastic radio beacon.
I just realized a lot of times we have that with the countdown timer on the pedestrian/crosswalk signal.
I was living in Austria for 1.5 years and driving was so much better with the blinking greens. You have plenty time to brake slowly and safely. I wish we had this here in Hungary. There are also a few traffic lights in Győr that have timers next to them, which is pretty cool IMO.
As a truck driver I appreciate the crosswalk signs in many American cities that have either a countdown timer or a warning flash. I use them to decide if I can make a green safely.
In Poland, they did that as well (or at least wanted to, not sure if they did in the end) but made it illegal to pass on yellow, so the green blinking just replaced the yellow light, really. It's stupid and probably only serves to ticket foreigners who aren't aware of this stupid system.
Video idea: roads with too many signs. In Pennsylvania it can be confusing and hard to read signs while paying attention to the road, when the signs are hiding behind other signs and objects.
there was a whole lawsuit about NY putting up those I
My mother pointed this out to me years ago. A lot of drivers slow down on the highway as they pass the big overhead signs because they're diverting brain power and attention to reading the signs. Some people even light up their brake lights but have no idea they're doing that.
Yeah there are too many signs here but never enough speed limit signs!!!
I just ignore all of them when there are too many, honestly
And roads with too few signs! Oftentimes I turn onto a road and don't see a speed limit for several miles, so I just have to guess and hope for the best.
This should be shown in Driver's ED.
Excellent content!
They should also tell you that it’s better to just barely run a red light, as there’s usually a several second delay between the other part of the intersection turning green and cars moving because of it, than to slam on your brakes and get rear ended, like almost happened with the car and the semi in the video. There’s much more time than ppl think there is
@@russellwinfree7587 this is why I think red light cams should be banned. They cause unnecessary panic for drivers
They do, at least in my driving school in Berlin
Not all traffic lights are equal
I dunno, that could be dangerous. In my college town, when I heard that the lights through the center of the town were timed to all change at the same time to match the speed limit, I discovered that you could also hit every green light doing double the speed limit !!!! :-P
Was nice to see police cruiser fan stopping by, seems like great dude too
My dad was a truck driver for my entire childhood, including when I was learning to drive. He taught me to pick a "bingo" point when approaching a green light. If the light changes to yellow before you reach your predetermined bingo point, you will be stopping for the red light. Once you pass the bingo point, no matter what the light does, you won't be stopping. This technique also allows you to begin paying attention to the intersection, rather than worrying about what the light is doing when you're approaching the collision zone of an intersection.
Driving this way was very helpful when I started driving Semi trucks, and I still use it regularly when I'm in my car.
We call it the point of no return, but it changes of course with the speed. But with the front car in my mind of course.
The LAPD endorsement is indeed a high watermark for this channel.
"I hate this intersection" don't we all?
Is this what adulthood is? I see a video on traffic light radars and I know it'll probably be the best part of my day?
Great video as always Rob! You continue to kill it with these, I found this topic extremely fascinating.
those videos are always so entertaining. The way it's cut, showed and explained is good enough for a TV show.
There is a production company putting this all together and he's not exactly an amateur.
@@PhilLesh69 pretty sure it's like 99% him.
I'm so glad you used The Polar Express as the example for uncanny valley, its the best example of it imo. Freaked me out as a kid.
Hecking freaked me out as an adult, shoot.
Tingly back and everything.
wtf is wrong with you people it looks like a cartoon to me
Yeah, it looks like a cartoon.
I've worked with radar before and creating a working radar that faces towards the ground is extremely difficult. The fact they've done it is extremely impressive.
Your production values are wayyyy up man, good work
oh my god I can't believe the t.A.T.u parody was in there, that was so amazing. I love you so much, Road Guy Rob.
@@user-vn7ky2xr1x for real, he's great! The fact that he knows that band and song well enough to parody it makes me so happy lol
Hah I couldn't believe it either... and its my favorite song of theirs too!
In the past, I'm sure some TH-camrs would make a video like this with stock footage, reading from a Wikipedia article more or less. Rob's videos get right on the scene, with informative and amusing graphics clearly illustrating his message. This is interesting content, well presented! If I saw you standing on a corner in your safety vest here in Portland, I'd make sure to say hi, Rob!
I think it's so cool you got kudos from the LAPD. They were impressed and so was I.
I STAYED UP WAITING FOR THIS BRODIE
(Real 3rd Shift Transit Security hours in-effect)
3:59 It's a bit of a myth that motorcycles can stop that much faster than cars, but we can sure as hell accelerate faster than them
True. This myth likely exists because motorcyclists are willing and able to push their machines limits, and use all its braking force, while studies have shown average car driver is almost allergic to stopping force. They'll hold back pedal pressure and not stop with anywhere near full capacity.
They even experimented with braking systems that required less pedal force, and drivers simply reduced force even more.
Average driver has no idea how quickly a car can be made to stop, and don't seem to realize ABS means they could stomp on brake with all tbeir might and car will simply stop safely and at max capacity.
Sad and scary. If you're not a driving enthusiast, please do everyone a favor. Go to empty parking lot, go about 25mph, and absolutely slam on brakes as hard as you can, without letup until full stop. Do this several times. Then do it yearly as a reminder. Let your brain premap what max braking feels like, so when you need to do it, you won't hold back.
Note, of your car is so old it doesn't have ABS, then you're an automobile enthusiast, and experienced with what happens when you exceed tire traction while braking.
OMG I got to send this to my frequent "back seat driver" friends whom argue with me about this.
@@Chief667 lol yeah, I'm that white truck at 4:59 on Dillon and Hwy 62.
Rob,
There is typically PVC conduit(s) that run from the base of the traffic signal to a quazite / electric junction box near the main traffic controller. There usually run additional conduits for future use where they can run additional wires as needed with just a fish tape.
Ha! At 13:00 you were driving on Red Hill in Irvine, CA. I love it when I recognize where you are! Great videos, ketyo up the great work.
Man, it's like you've been doing this your entire life! I saw old news clips of you but I think you just have literal raw talent. Road Guy Rob has quickly become one of my top 3 favorites.
NOT GONNA MAKE IT. Love the Tatu reference
These videos are way too well made and interesting to have so few views
Have had a few of these over the years resulting in two (fairly light thankfully) rear-ends and in one case a pickup shooting by on the grass to the right of me. Part of the problem is the split-second of indecision can mean that you end up braking later and harder than you would if you knew for sure you were going to have to stop.
Hey Rob, greetings from Germany, your videos give a fascinating view into american road traffic, its crazy how different it feels for somebody knowing traffic in Europe, but then even here it feels different from country to country.
Same thing here, it's different from state to state sometimes!! Every state is s different country withing a Large one. Greetings from a Nicaraguan living in the US. Auf Wiedersehen 👋🇳🇮
I dated a German for several years when I was younger.
There were several things that drove her crazy about American drivers. Barely any use their turn signals and almost everyone camps out in and blocks the passing and turning lane (left lane on any divided highway). She would yell at drivers who changed lanes or slowed down to turn without warning. She thought they were dangerous scofflaws.
@@PhilLesh69 What’s also so annoying is when drivers pass you on the right on the highway or someone you want to overtake is driving slowly on the left lane. It’s strictly forbidden to do that in Germany - they take your drivers license away for up to 3 month!
@@simonkraemer3725 Passing to the right on wide highways is only forbidden because it is dangerous, and only dangerous because it is forbidden.
Once you break that circle, it is perfectly OK to pass to the right side, and it makes more effective use of the roads possible.
Especially those 4-5 lane wide (per direction) highways around cities are used very ineffectively when passing to the right is forbidden, and they rightly noticed that in the USA and made it allowed to pass on the right. When that is allowed, eveyone watches the lane when they move to the right, and it is no longer dangerous.
@@Rob2 Well, no this rule makes sense, it’s also forbidden in the US to pass someone from the right, except in certain circumstances; the police just never enforced it. Besides having freeways with 4+ lanes doesn’t make much sense (after three lanes you have to think about better mass transit), you can get in dangerous situations when driving slow on the left lane. People that want to speed have to pass slower moving cars in zigzag courses, every lane change means a higher risk of collisions. A study showed that driving 5mph faster on the left lane is less dangerous than driving 5mph slower. With a strict enforcement of the no-passing-on-right-rule in Germany, we can maintain a highway system without any speedlimit with less fatalities than in the US.
Your channel has been so entertaining to watch, I swear every time I've been out driving the past few days the lessons of these videos has been in the back of my mind
*you know it's a good day when Road Guy Rob posts!* _u rock dude_
I saw the same exact radar thing on a street light at it sets off radar detectors😂😂
@9:00 Love that that guy recognized you.
Happy to see your sub count way higher than the 4K I arrived at. You’ll be at a million one day.
As a former urban studies major, you bring amazing storytelling to one of my favorite fields! And make me laugh out loud. Thank you! Super Proud Supporter of yours on Patreon. #tacosforroadguyrob
Grand island nebraska has the warning flashers on alot of lights and they're awesome. It starts when the light is still green even. Slow comfortable stops
"Works in all weather. Rain, sleet, snow, fog," ..."Sand?" well, I guess there are such things as sand storms...
I don't like the sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating
...Sharknado?
Yes, works in sand storms. This same tech is in smart weapons and a technology called synthetic aperture radar. It basically creates images using radar waves and can see through clouds / storms / sand storms, etc... The latest weapon using this is in-fact called "StormBreaker" because it works in all weather conditions.
HOW DOES THIS CHANNEL HAVE LESS THAN 100K SUBS?!?!?!?!?! The production quality alone is AMAZING.
You do notice the extension if you pay attention to the crosswalk signs here in Ohio. When in that zone driving and the crosswalk stops blinking I know it added that extra second or three! If theres no cross traffic, the crosswalks automatically cycle back to white instantly if they don't go red instantly when you're still farther away; all telltale signs of this few second extension feature. I always read those crosswalk numbers for an idea how stale the light is and imagine they've designed them intentionally that way?
It's kind of an accident and can work if you're familiar with the intersection. It is by no means a rule though. It can be programmed to have a longer green than the pedestrian phase.
Also there isn't anything on the market that extends the maximum green timer, if you hit it the signal goes yellow even if the radar says someone is in the bad place.
When I went to Mexico in the 90s, I noticed the green light would blink five times before it turned yellow. That would be a cheap solution to get rid of the dilemma zone discussed here.
Exactly. No need to install a separate sign to warn you that the light is about to change.
Blinking greens mean something else in the US! Although they aren't used much, it indicates that the intersection is a crosswalk only, no crossing vehicle traffic.
i'm from Mexico and I thought that happened everywhere
When the green light starts blinking it's time to decide whether to step on it or to brake
They have those in Russia too, not sure why more countries don’t use them.
In some places in Europe the blinking green light is used as well, e.g. Austria. In many other countries I saw displays counting down the seconds. This also appears to be a much cheaper solution. I wonder if the radar-based solutions has other advantages, which justify the effort.
!!!
I was just having a normal Tuesday
Now it is a great Tuesday!
Best of its kind channel on TH-cam
5:00 the thing about these flashers is they're not always timed the best. There's one near my house and when it's starts flashing, you have about 5 seconds of flashing where you will make it. So what's the point?
I've noticed the same thing. There's one near me that I just ignore because it's always wrong.
Probably just a poorly set up one. I really like the ones near where I live.
Where I live in BC Canada we have flashers
On every road with a speed limit of 60Kph or faster and they are all like that
People could also look further down the road, and see whether that far off light has been green for a while, or if it was red and recently switched green. But too many people just can't or won't do that.
Let's hope future transportation engineers are picking up some tips from you! 🚙 Great video as usual!
Here in Brazil some cities started using traffic signals which are countdown signals, so you always know how much of a green light you still have. I´ve always wondered why this hasn´t expanded worldwide, there´s got to be a catch, but my experience with them is great. Most of the problems go away when you know exactly how much time you have left.
People will speed up to try to beat the clock.
Maybe have flashing green to tell you it’s going to turn yellow but not know how much time exactly
Edmonton, Alberta NEEDS these detection thingies... I did some UberEats last night from 3-5AM and stopped at SO MANY red lights despite no cars coming from any direction at all.
That’s because the loops in the pavement where you live are set to trigger red lights. It’s the exact same thing where I live. There could be no cars anywhere on the intersection you pass that loop and boom you get a red light.
@Go Clunker I assume they're trying to grab red light camera revenue?
@@EMichaelBall they call it “traffic calming” waste of brakes, fuel, and risk of accidents.
Popular misconception: cars equipped with proper tires will ALWAYS brake faster than motorcycles. High braking g forces seen on a street sport bike are .8 but cars routinely hit 1.1-1.2 (1.1 common, 1.2 on extra sticky low tread wear tires)
damn i love the tatu reference :D
my personal rule of thumb is: if I would have to brake hard to stop, then go, because that is what the yellow light is _for_ is to prevent the whole suddenly-have-to-stop problem.
Probably one of the highest video-quality to subscribers ratio of any channel on this site
This is the best, most honest traffic technology channel I have fver seen. Straight talk, knowlegable, and eschews the "car-bashing, let's -all-ride-magical-bikes culture" that so many people engage in just because it's popular. This may be the very first YouTbbe channel I would consider supporting on Patreon!
Looks like you're becoming a bit of a celebrity with the police fan interaction. That's awesome! Just like you said, I don't think you can top that! Nothing better than having law enforcement officers on your side! Of course they had no trouble spotting you with your signature green collard shirt, bright orange vest and microphone. Great video as always! Look forward to watching more!
Here in BC Canada we have those pre-warning lights on the highways. It does help.
I find the lights come on too early
Excellent review. Now I will be distracted at the intersection looking for the sensors. ;)
There's this one stretch of street in the city nearby my house that has this problem. Often, when I'm driving, signal after signal will be turning yellow at the worst time. Sometimes I think the street just doesn't like me.
Great video! I've noticed countless times where a green light "helpfully" turned yellow right as I was passing underneath it. I figured it was thanks to some sort of advanced detection system, but never knew any of these fascinating details.
My hometown in Canada has the advanced flashers! And you definitely should be slowing down and stopping
Why not just have a big countdown display above the traffic signal? That way everyone could figure out what to do individually. A loaded semi might want to get ready to stop sooner whereas someone driving a car might know to speed up a bit to make the green.
If you watch signals from other countries they have these and they also have green lights that flash when they are stale. In the USA the revenue is needed from tickets and body shops also need the business
Cost, cost, cost? It'd be a novel device, so it'd take some getting used to; might have resistance from some people. Adding another electronic device to the bar is probably not cheap (materials, road closures, integration, ongoing maintenance, etc) and you have to do thousands and thousands of intersections. Or, plug in this radar thing and ... done? No learning curve.
I would love to see these everywhere, or the warning flashers. I drive a truck and my company punishes me if I brake too hard. One time at roughly 2am on a quiet GA hwy, speed limit was about 50mph. No traffic approaching the intersection but me and the light turns yellow and 3 seconds later it was red. I got a ticket and a chewing out by my safety guy who said I had plenty of time to stop and I could have killed someone. I was right in that questionable zone.
Interesting intersection at 2:44. I have never seen a left turn like that.
It's conceptually no different from a regular left turn lane except the median is really wide; the left turn lanes are so far separated from the rest of the road that there's apparently no risk of being sideswiped.
It's just that this one is really close to a three way interchange (that is, that is the last level crossing before merging with another freeway, or the first crossing encountered after exiting), so imagine not having the traffic light there. Because that's exactly what it was like several years ago.
There are underground plastic/PVC (usually somewhat flexible, small diameter, usually in clusters 2-10 pipes depending on the needs), that connect every traffic device to the traffic cabinet. I work in a county transportation department. I locate those underground conduits (the tubes) nearly everyday, spray paint and flag them, so no one digs them up during construction.
I genuinely look Forward to every video from this channel. Very interesting exciting videos !
How about a yellow line across the road approaching the light. If you are doing the speed limit and across the line when it turns yellow, you should continue. If you haven't crossed the line, you should stop.
Such a good subject for yt videos I love this guy we all drivers and there in no other source of information like this
that "viewers like you" comment at the end was great, glad im not the only one 😂
I really like these videos, the road infrastructure covered in great detail and explained interestingly and with bit of fun too!
I've noticed that the prepare to stop warning signs where I live are set up so you can safely make the green, if you're paying attention. If you're doing the speed limit (in this case 80km/h) when you pass an imaginary line that runs across the road between the prepare to stop signs, you'll hit the stop-line at precisely the moment that the signal turns amber. Problem with drivers where I live is that they treat the prepare to stop lights as an actual yellow and I've seen many times people coming to a complete stop at a early amber or GREEN LIGHT. I always thought the prepare to stop lights were intended for trucks, not light vehicles.
Was not expecting that from the police cruiser stopping
They use underground conduit runs to run the wire across the street, that also house a plethora of other under ground stuff like fiber optic and coaxial cable runs. It’s likely they used conduit only for the intersections equipment and wiring needs though as most modernized stuff has it’s own built in runs. If it doesn’t or other runs aren’t available to use, it may run through drainage or sewer lines.
It’s pretty cool to watch them run wires through conduit. They attach the wire to a pig, then blow it through the conduit with highly pressurized air to the other end. Never disappoints. It’s quite satisfying for some reason unbeknownst to me.
You are simply the best. Period. I would pull over if I saw you too
These radars and sensors should be on every traffic light and road
I liked the more technical video 👍
need them asian lights with the light count down timers so you know how much time is left. works great. even a dial showing time going to empty would work.
Interesting, really informative video and the police jumping in was awesome! I wonder if these radar systems can also be used to change lights faster when they observe a vehicle exceeding the posted speed limit. I would say that I observed this very phenomenon except that I have no way to verify that it was happening in that way and not simply because I exceeded the speed limit for a fair distance and that caused the lights to seemingly change sooner. I'm talking about a difference of 5-10 MPH max...not extreme considering it was very early morning and almost zero traffic. One light changed rather quickly to yellow, plenty of room for me even though it went red as I drove under it, I then noticed the very next light changing as well even though there was no cross traffic near the light. It was a main thoroughfare so it seemed likely to me that they might have done this.
Interesting! Also, to answer your question about running the wire, from my limited experience working with traffic lights I believe there are wire conduits that run under the street, which allows you to replace the wire if need be without having to dig up the street. You just require a very, _very_ long fish.
You are legit one of the best creators on the platform. Keep up the great work!
Nebraska puts really handy solid white lines at intersections that mark the approximate location of the end of the indecision zone, so if you haven’t reached the solid white line, you know you should probably stop on the yellow. We also have flashing yellow lights on busy roads, but it would be nice if there were more of them...
LAPD Officer: This is a dangerous intersection
Also the LAPD Officer: But I'm gonna stop right here anyway because I'm a cop and the rules don't apply to me
Fun fact: in the State of California, emergency vehicles are exempt from traffic laws within scope of duties.
@@dynasty0019 operative clause there being "within the scope of duties"
@@onesob13 Making contacts with citizens is within the scope of duties.
@@dynasty0019 That is true, but I don't see a LEO making a citizen contact, I see a private citizen making a personal, social visit with someone of notoriety
If you ever post a video on the subject, it'll be interesting to hear your thoughts on diverging diamond and reduced-conflict intersections.
I like diverging diamonds but hate reduced-conflicts. Only place I've seen RCI used is in Minnesota where it encourages farm trucks to slowly dawdle across multiple lanes of traffic.
Rob, I wonder what pedestrian walk-signal countdowns do to this situation. I'm in a big city where they're on every block. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen drivers hit the brakes well *before* the light turns yellow! I have a dashcam + just uploaded a 20 second example clip. He hits the brakes when the countdown still has 3 or 4 seconds on it! I'd be really interested to know what you think of this situation, Rob!
Another totally awesome video!
And I'm so glad you kept the bit with those cops. Amazing!
Love this channel, dude! 💖
"I was driving lights and sirens and got T-boned at this intersection" means "I failed to properly clear the intersection before proceeding though the red light".
I have to say this is one of the most underrated TH-cam channel around. You put out some awesome videos with quality that far surpasses many other TH-cam channels. You are passionate about the topics you cover and you do such an amazing job with every video. I love watching your videos Rob, you should absolutely have 2 million subscribers as you put out some of the best videos on TH-cam. I love watching the videos you put out and learning about things I didn't know anything about. Keep putting out these awesome videos!!!
They don't care about whether or not we crash ! They want all that money from those red light camera tickets !
This whole video is about a technology that contradicts your theory.
To answer the question at 14:25 to get the wires under the street, most properly installed signal systems use a dedicated pipe to act as a tunnel and they just push the wires through the pipe. Some intersections are done with overhead wires and they just run them across the wire the signals hang on.
Sometimes I look at the crosswalk timer counting down to determine if I will make the crossing or will have to stop.
This should not be done.
Your one of the reason why driver especially these turning hates pedestrians. Technically your j-walking when you start crossing after the stop hand or counter starts
I found this channel by mistake and thought this guy is crazy. Now I can't pull myself away from the channel. He is really cool and knowledgeable. I worked in ADOT Traffic Operations Center for 6 years and wish I knew about this then. He make perfect sense. The LAPD Officer was really cool also!
"Obviously we're not gonna fix the human mind, right?"
Elon Musk has entered the chat
If you want to explore those advance "Prepare To Stop" flashing light warnings, come have a look at Skyline Boulevard (California State Route 35) in and around Pacifica. The area can be notoriously foggy and these warnings can tell you of a red traffic light that you can't even see far enough in front of you when the fog is thick. Good video! Thanks!
Americans: Trying to engineer their way out of simply using roundabouts since 1776.
Roundabouts have their place, but the take up a lot of space which can be a problem at already established intersections surrounded by businesses. Either that or they're far too small and suck trying to navigate a truck through.
Road Guy Rob has a video on traffic circles too, check it out!
Just add 3-4 seconds before the other light turns green. People will always run red lights . I think the point of no return is different for everyone. It depends on so many different factors like your personal life, what kind of car you drive, where you live, etc. Honestly I think it would be better if every light had the same timing so individuals could make their own decisions.
Canberra has I good system that tries to eliminate the "bad zone" where as you come up to traffic lights you can see the pedestrian crossing light. If its green you have plenty of time to cross with your car, if its flashing indicating that pedestrians should no longer start cross you know that there is a yellow light coming up so you should slow down.
I don't know if it was intentional design or they just lucked out, but its pretty handy
Love how that video builds up with the music up to that camera detection demonstration.
By the way, @RoadGuyRob (or anyone else) what's the music starting @11:57 ? Thanks!
How about a flashing green like Europe does to be able to give a heads up when the light is about to change?
You run an awesome channel, Rob! Love what you do, thank you sir. Hope you have a great day!
In the UK we mostly just use loops on approach to lights. Two loops are placed close together, and at multiple locations on approach to lights, usually 2 or 3, but can be 4 or more at busier roads. Having two loops together allows the controller to work out the length of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle. We also use IR cameras in addition to loops for detection of bicycles on approach to junctions too.
Although that being said radar systems have started to be deployed too.
But its too much of an issue here, because it is rare to find traffic lights anywhere you would be going faster than 40mph anyway.
You are doing a great job Rob. This channel will get big and inspire many people to pursue a career in road design/traffic engineering.
This is such good content. Waiting for the day that channel blows up...
The Good Place is such a great show! Nice subtle references to it!
You should always be aware of vehicles in your rear view mirror. Especially when approaching intersections. This way you know if a vehicle is right behind you before a decision needs to be made. The same practice is good in residential areas; if there were several vehicles parked on the roadside a pedestrian could appear quickly; it's important to gauge speed according to how much time we have to react, and factor in any vehicles following close behind by reducing speed further to account for the additional delay in reaction from the driver behind.
Another good practice is to move away from blind spots created by roadside obstructions allowing space for a pedestrian appear that is not directly in the path of your vehicle. Likewise, approaching an intersection where another vehicle is approaching, or stopped, at the intersecting street; just move the foot from the accelerator to the brake without pushing the brake and steer around the vehicle anticipating that it may not stop.
The only way to account for our delay in reaction time is to always provide a buffer of space that allows 2.5 seconds to stop or react. When steering around is not an option it is always appropriate to reduce speed; therefore, important to know the proximity of vehicles around you all 360 degrees.
Just by slowing enough to allow buffer space, congestion on highway off ramps could be significantly reduced by allowing vehicles to merge into the exit lane without stopping in the fast lane to wait for someone to let them in. Traffic would travel slower, more steady, and overall faster because it would not stop entirely.
Self driving cars, or vehicles with automated safety features, could be programmed to enforce this driving practice and would overall reduce traffic congestion and accidents.
Simple rules; proximity and speed differential. Avoid proximity at high speed differential.
I have seen a couple of your videos before , this is the one I subscribed on , two reasons , I liked your interaction with the cops , I was expecting them to hassle you , and two and the most important reason , you used a door bell tone that was off tone , and it didn't disturb my dog at all , and she responds to even the quietest door bell , but the tone you used was perfect . Yes If you please my dog you please me , lol . Your videos are pretty good too , informative .