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Traffic Light of the Future
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Don't know, it's not information I need to know myself but evidently people around where I live find this increasingly important. Doesn't make it right nor does it mean I agree.
All the new traffic lights around here are LED with the usual fairings around them.
I've seen them, fairings don't always protect them though. Particularly windy, wet snow. It's less of an issue here in the UK that's for sure, but after the last couple of winters we've had, and are predicted to have over the coming years, might be something that needs thinking about in future iterations.
Bingo, BTW.
Robbie makes a very pertinent point about Stop-Start systems though, and there's also potential issues regarding new ECU's that disable the throttle when you're within a sniff of the brake pedal.
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None, again, don't ride the friction point, having the clutch depressed all the way does not cause any wear on it. In fact, neither method causes anymore wear to the car, that's just a myth.
As for the handbrake being "safer", sorry, I just don't see it and I've been bumped from behind. Just not something we teach or apply here. Either the car is in neutral with the foot on the brake or the car in gear with the left foot depressing the clutch and the right foot holding the foot brake.
Well that design would never work beside pushing people to hurry up it also has one other HUGE HUGE flaw.
There are people who are color blind. They could not tell the difference between any of the the different colors and you can not use location to figure out what they mean.
There are people who are color blind. They could not tell the difference between any of the the different colors and you can not use location to figure out what they mean.
This was my thought exactly
This concept is cool on paper but will never see the light *puns* of day.
It is not a complete myth. It holding down the clutch does cause more wear on the pivot bearing and the pressure plate but even with that increase wear they are going to out last the clutch plate and standard practices is to replace them with the clutch it does not really matter in the end.
Now I do drive a manual and at stop lights chances are my car is in neutral and my foot is not on the clutch along with my parking brake may or may not be on. If the parking brake is on my foot is not on the brake. Now I do not do the parking brake starts. I hate doing that and it is not hard to keep on self from rolling backwards on a hill with out using the parking brake. The trick is to leave ones foot on the brake long enough for the clutch to grab and then go over to the gas but any experienced manual driver knows those tricks.
But more often than not I take rolling back a little bit because it is easier.
As for my reason for not holding my foot on the clutch is it gets rather tiring so I do it out of laziness than to stop any extra wear.
in the US we're taught not to use the parking break at stops instead of the foot brake because the parking break doesn't engage the rear brake lights whereas the foot brake does--ie it is more noticeable that you're stopped so you are less likely to be hit from behind. Further, as for the being hit from behind scenario, the parking break only engages the rear brakes on most cars or a small secondary drum and the foot break engages the brakes at all four wheels so if hit (and your foot doesnt leave the pedal) you will move forward less.
I drive a manual, when I'm stopped, car's in neutral, foot of the clutch and on the brake. When I see the cross traffic light turn yellow, I clutch in, and put it in first so I'm ready to go, or if I can't see the cross traffic light, I'll just wait until it turns green and then go, screw the people in automatics behind me, they'll have to wait an extra second.
I only use my handbrake for parking and when I'm on a steep hill. I've never heard of people using it when stopped at a light.
I only use my handbrake for parking and when I'm on a steep hill. I've never heard of people using it when stopped at a light.
Anyway, from observation, I would say that most people in the UK do not use their handbrakes as they have been tough to, rather they sit with their foot on the brakes for as long as it takes to get moving again. For most people this is not a problem. For people like me in very low sports cars where their brake lights are at my eye level it results in an annoying eye-searing in nose-to-tail traffic
This is the reason I was taught to use the handbrake. It's not just in low cars either, there seems to be a tendency for lights on cars to be getting brighter and brighter these days. Still, not as bad as those damned DRLs!
Using the handbrake also gives your feet a little rest!
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+1. How did Scotty put in the Search for Spock? "The more you over do the plumbing, the easier it is to clog it up." Something to that effect.
Just put a timer on the yellow until red. That's especially important since it varies based on whether or not they want you to get a red light ticket.
Having driven extensively in both countries, and holding dual licenses, I can say with authority that the British are better drivers, particularly with manual transmissions. If you ride the clutch at a light on the driving test, you will be failed. Same goes for coasting down a hill in neutral.
Traffic lights work fine the way they are.
what is britain DL test requirement then for a manual. By the sounds of it some of it is REALLY REALLY stupid.
For example having to use the parking brake.
ALso what do you define as riding the clutch. To me holding it all the way down is not riding it as the clutch is disengage completely. Riding it is when you are allowing it to slip. Big difference. At shorter lights I will hold my clutch down. Longer lights I will go with the neutral route out of laziness.
I have not used the parking brake start for years now. I do know how to do it but it is just more trouble than it is worth. Rolling backwards a little or doing a trick with letting the clutch slip a little and grab before I release my foot brake are what I normally use.
Only time I even consider the parking brake trick is when I am on a steep hill and generally I need a car right behind me. Dumb ass who ride my bumper I have tricks to encourage them to get off of it on steep hills by letting myself roll backwards a little farther than I should.
I will say my biggest annouces is people who start rolling up on me right when my brake lights go dark. There is some lag time before I start moving and brake lights going off most of the time....
Personally I tend to take my foot off the brake in a flat area as soon as I have a car or 2 behind me and then I just sit there. No one is coming up on me and no need to keep them on.
My biggest problem is when I drive an Automatic now is I forget to hold down the brake with enough pressure to keep from moving as most of the time my foot is only on the pedal hard enough to turn on the brake lights. That and my habit of taking my foot off the brake pedal.
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already out there. Just most places do not put in real time dynamic traffic light controls. It is fairly costly and only major cities with a centralized traffic control center do you tend to see them.
It is not that hard to have the light times be based on current traffic patternts. The forumals that deal with it is all based on cars per minute lanes ect.
why do I have a feeling many people there do not do that except when they take the test or on a hill.
I call it a rather stupid requirement honestly. You can have the clutch down and your other foot on the brake it has the same effect.
What? So they expect you to take the e-brake off, put it in gear, then go? That takes at least a second.
Up here the crosswalk signals show the time until yellow so you know how fast you need to go to make the yellow light.
Stupid except on a hill it may be but the driving test is more rigorous and less forgiving than anything on this side of the pond. If people continue to do it on level ground, it's probably more from habit. It's not the same as having your foot on the brake because it does not rely on the driver to hold the car in place.
You can put it in gear before you release the hand brake and pull away instantly and it becomes natural with experience. Almost everyone drives a manual gearbox here, it's no big deal.
rolling back on a traffic light: instant fail on a driving test
handbrake on a traffic light ? seriously how long is the red phase where you live ?
unless driving up a steep hill, it can easily controlled by normal brakes.. and as somebody else said the normal brakes have better breaking (both axles) unless it's like on some new cars where there isn't even a dedicated hand brake anymore
handbrake on a traffic light ? seriously how long is the red phase where you live ?
unless driving up a steep hill, it can easily controlled by normal brakes.. and as somebody else said the normal brakes have better breaking (both axles) unless it's like on some new cars where there isn't even a dedicated hand brake anymore
It can be up to two to three minutes, depending on the complexity of the junction and time of day.