The Student Room Group

Should traffic lights be turned off to save money

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-29835494?ocid=socialflow_twitter

do you agree do u think it should be turned off to save money

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Nope. Too many people won't slow down to see if it's clear first.
Reply 2
Absolutely not. Street lights should be kept on, too. My council recently turned them off as a money-saving scheme and somebody unfortunately died after being hit by a car. Safety is more important than funds.
Original post by tmckinnin56
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-29835494?ocid=socialflow_twitter

do you agree do u think it should be turned off to save money


A better investment might be to have the traffic light equivalent of the smart pedestrian crossings that only work when there are pedestrians waiting. Sensors on the approach to lights could detect a car approaching and operate if necessary (i.e. if traffic is approaching in two or more directions). That would stop the situation at a crossroads for example where one flow of cars is stopped even though there are no cars waiting in the opposite direction.
A tad risky.
Original post by Mackay
Absolutely not. Street lights should be kept on, too. My council recently turned them off as a money-saving scheme and somebody unfortunately died after being hit by a car. Safety is more important than funds.

Its rather difficult to get run over by a car whilst looking as you cross the road.....
Reply 6
Original post by billydisco
Its rather difficult to get run over by a car whilst looking as you cross the road.....


Hm. I struggle to not have sympathy for the victims.
Turned off no, but reduced yes.

I have noticed that most traffic lights in the UK will have 4 or even 6 lights for the same road, which is completely unnecessary. A single light is enough. Like in the example below, why is there another row of traffic lights right behind the first one?

Reply 8
Original post by tmckinnin56
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-29835494?ocid=socialflow_twitter

do you agree do u think it should be turned off to save money


No.


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You could set them to flash amber in all directions to prevent needless waiting... Probably mean updating the controls which would be an immediate cost.

Not really sure the electricity used in the signal lights is all that significant, they've all been updated to led near me.
Original post by muffingg
Turned off no, but reduced yes.

I have noticed that most traffic lights in the UK will have 4 or even 6 lights for the same road, which is completely unnecessary. A single light is enough. Like in the example below, why is there another row of traffic lights right behind the first one?



This looks like the top of Thamesdown Drive just opposite Blunsdon, in Swindon. That was a ****ing terrible design. There's so many traffic lights and barely any roundabouts. We're supposed to be the roundabout capital of the world. Yes, have calming measures when roundabouts don't work but it must have cost millions for all those lights on Thamesdown Drive.
This isn't the way to do it.

Reducing benefits, unnecessary translations, 5* meetings, unnecessary transport subsidies and plenty of other ways of councils and governments waste money should be looked at first.

Alternatively just 1 solar panel by the junction should generate more than enough electricity for it and enough to sell back to the grid that can not just pay for itself but also for the maintenance of the said traffic lights.
The amount of money saved would be incredibly small. So no.
I reckon you could get away with turning off every other light on motorways.
Original post by SnoochToTheBooch
I reckon you could get away with turning off every other light on motorways.

There doesn't seem to have been any clear criteria for deciding which motorways and A roads to light in the first place and tbh apart from junctions it doesn't seem to make much sense to light the boring bits at all.

obv still light residential streets where there are pedestrians about etc.

any new / replacement traffic light installations should imo have consideration given to flashing amber between midnight and 6AM (say) to prevent needless waiting at times when traffic management isn't really required. IMO it's better than prioritising main roads for green as this seem to encourage late night speeders on roads near me whereas flashing amber *should* force them to be more cautious. Any additional cost on top of the installation should be trivial.
No, but I think that they should have countdown timers at the predestrian crossings like on some streets in London have and one in Hull has. :yep:
Reply 16
No because as someone else said, the saving would be not worth the increased risk of an accident.

I live in a town of approx 100,000 people and council tax was recently raised to enable the town to have street lighting on through out the night. The cost was £100k per year.. One serious accident would easily cost the NHS and emergency services several times that figure.
Original post by SnoochToTheBooch
I reckon you could get away with turning off every other light on motorways.


You're better off turning the street light on to solar powered so that it won't be as costly to run as the conventional setup.

With regards to the traffic lights - no, as there'd be safety issues. However, retrofit them with LEDs and make them run off solar panels (rather than the national grid) and that will save money too.
Original post by spotify95
You're better off turning the street light on to solar powered so that it won't be as costly to run as the conventional setup.

With regards to the traffic lights - no, as there'd be safety issues. However, retrofit them with LEDs and make them run off solar panels (rather than the national grid) and that will save money too.


So many non-LED street lights I'm passing right now on the bus! :rolleyes: :banghead: :doh: :unimpressed:
Original post by pinkteddyx64
So many non-LED street lights I'm passing right now on the bus! :rolleyes: :banghead: :doh: :unimpressed:


That is a problem; the lights should be changed to LED to save money! That was they wouldn't have to turn them off or turn off traffic lights!

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