Shoulder check

[jorogi]

What really bugs me is the drivers on their cell phone and miss the light change.

But worse than that they kill people.

 

[historicalarms]

If you pull their driving licensees for dangerous driving, they would fall behind in their dump truck payments.

Prob only 3 or 4 folks on this forum catch the significance of that statement

 

[DPittman]

The deaths are problematic but the injuries are a huge burden on our health care system that is almost completely unnecessary.

Just take out airbags and seat belts and the injuries would be reduced significantly.

Just joking of course I agree the stats are alarming and horrific.

 

[Susquatch]

Prob only 3 or 4 folks on this forum catch the significance of that statement

I bet it's more like a dozen.

 

[mmfw12]

Interesting responses and not what I was hoping for as suggestions to fix the problem.
The re-testing idea is just a first step. There are many things that can be done to reduce traffic crash deaths and injuries.

Just look up the nationwide traffic deaths and you will see how much more of a problem this is than one airliner crashing and killing all passengers.

How about a federal incentive program to reduce crashes? A competition between provinces for extra health care funding for any province that reduces its crashes by 10% or more. When money is involved politicians act.

So does anyone have any ideas for reducing crash deaths and injuries?

 

[slow-poke]

I'm not advocating for running red lights- but - I was taught in a large truck it's better to run the yellowish/slightly red light because hard braking might shift the load on the trailer, or it might put me stopped in the middle of the intersection and cause confusion

That sounds a bit iffy. Slightly red as in someone can't hit you if they just go on the green without looking sounds okay, but the problem is when that slightly red becomes more than slightly red and especially if red before the truck even enters the intersection or in my two dump truck experiences the light was red and the front of the truck was a few car lengths from entering the intersection. I did my typical look left and thought that guy has no chance of stopping. In both cases they not only ran the red, but they were probably 20km/hr over the limit. I also observed a empty school bus do the same thing.

You can often see the pedestrian walk lights as you approach if they are red, decent chance your about to get a yellow time to think about slowing down.

 

[Downwindtracker2]

If it's been green for a while, it going to turn amber by the time I get there.

 

[SomeGuy]

I'm not advocating for running red lights- but - I was taught in a large truck it's better to run the yellowish/slightly red light because hard braking might shift the load on the trailer, or it might put me stopped in the middle of the intersection and cause confusion

If you're in a large truck and going too fast that you can't stop for a traffic light as it changes, you should forfeit your license permanently. I can't think of a single situation where there wouldn't be time to stop if driving appropriately. And if you don't know how to secure your load so it doesn't shift, also bye bye license.

There are no excuses which lead me to believe that running a red is the best option. Seeing the red because you entered on yellow is the borderline of what I'd think is ok.

 

[Elektrishun]

When I had a regular driving route to work I was accustomed to where all the hazardous spots were for winter driving.

There was one potentially treacherous downhill stretch of road heading to a set of lights. If I thought the intersection might be icy I would adjust my speed and check the cross walk light.

"Walk light" showing, then I had no concern the light will change to amber as I approach the intersection.

"Flashing hand" showing and depending how far away I was, I would start counting down in my mind "one one hundred, two one hundred...". If I wasn't near the intersection by "10 one hundreds" then I would start slowing down because I knew the light would change to amber and be red BEFORE I entered the intersection. Never had to worry about sliding, somebody turning in front of me, or trying to decide should I brake or should I go.

Sometimes I would try that at other less familiar intersections but soon found out the timing of the lights can be significantly different. At the very least it keeps my mind on the road.

 

[Susquatch]

So does anyone have any ideas for reducing crash deaths and injuries?

I was responsible for motor vehicle safety at one of the big OEM's for a part of my career.

I can tell you with absolute clarity what can be done, what will work, and what won't matter. I've been retired for 20 years so my company loyalties have all died long ago. I am a great grandfather now.

But nothing I could tell you will happen - of this I am certain. It's far easier to pass regulations to force manufacturers to make 0.01% improvements, than it is to make 20% improvements by changing driver behaviours. Drivers are voters. Cars can't vote.

The statistics are mostly all very misleading. That is primarily because the insurance industry does most of the stats and they have lots of fat in that fire. Stats Canada numbers are mostly useless too.

To support one of your thoughts though, it is interesting to note that more people died in car collisions from avoiding air travel after 9-11 than died from the 9-11 disaster itself!

If you want, I will happily send you a PM to discuss the policy. If you read the forum rules, you will note that government policy is a forbidden subject on this forum.

 

[Chicken lights]

You can often see the pedestrian walk lights as you approach if they are red, decent chance you're about to get a yellow time to think about slowing down.

Agreed, if they have warning lights, but not every state/province has them, a lot just have a blinking light telling you there's lights ahead

 

[Chicken lights]

If you're in a large truck and going too fast that you can't stop for a traffic light as it changes, you should forfeit your license permanently. I can't think of a single situation where there wouldn't be time to stop if driving appropriately. And if you don't know how to secure your load so it doesn't shift, also bye bye license.
Seeing the red because you entered on yellow is the borderline of what I'd think is ok.

Theres a couple spots I can think of, with a posted 20-40 mph speed limit, that you'll smoke your brakes trying to stop for a light change. It's not a "too fast" it's a "too heavy to stop fast downhill".

A lot of stuff WILL shift under a hard brake, secured legally. I think part of the job is learning how to drive accordingly

 

[Susquatch]

You can often see the pedestrian walk lights as you approach if they are red, decent chance your about to get a yellow time to think about slowing down.

That's one of my favorites around here. I watch the pedestrian lights. When they start flashing I know a yellow light is not far away and I start coasting.

A related habit is recognizing when to stop on a yellow. As I approach a traffic light, my mind is programmed to stop, not to squeeze through. I simply repeat, I can stop, I can stop, I can stop, until suddenly I can't stop anymore if it turns yellow. That way I'm always going through the light on a green or a very early yellow, not ever a late yellow or a red.

 

[SomeGuy]

Theres a couple spots I can think of, with a posted 20-40 mph speed limit, that you'll smoke your brakes trying to stop for a light change. It's not a "too fast" it's a "too heavy to stop fast downhill".

A lot of stuff WILL shift under a hard brake, secured legally. I think part of the job is learning how to drive accordingly

Almost every place that exists, they'll have yellow caution lights that come on when the light is going to turn to warn you about this....eg: