Traffic light went orange! Oh Shit

[Viking Steven Poulson]

Rape and cleane them out of anything worth anything is the true viking way I know I am one there!!!!

[sunhuntin]

i always slow up a bit coming up to lights. the main set changes pretty quick. ill ease up a bit, and then lean forward to see down the side roads.
if theres cars there, ill get ready to stop, cos i know the light is likely to change. if theres no cars, ill gun it through, cos the light will stay green till a car comes.
the other main set ive learned only stays green long enough for one car to pass through [this is in the evening] so ive learned not to speed up, cos then i have to jam the brakes on.
i use a combo of engine and back brake mainly, but am training myself on the front as well.

[Drum]

What you experienced is what is called the 'dilemma zone'. When approaching traffic lights there is that distance away when you would definately go through if the lights turn amber, and a further distance back when you would definately stop. In between is the dilemma zone. The length of the dilemma zone increases with speed, as well as other factors including reaction time etc.

This is why internationally accepted good practice states that traffic signals should not be installed in high speed areas (such as SH2).

This is another example of poor engineering by Transit.

It is also worth noting that around 28% of crashes at signalised intersections are 'right angle' crashes, and around 42% are 'rear end' crashes. This suggests that if in doubt, you are better off going for it rather than braking hard to stop in time.

[kevie]

some good advice on this thread ....a couple i scratched my head on too heheh but hey thats the forums for you, with any topic theres varied opinions and techniques

I learned waaaaayyyyyy back to scan as far ahead of me as I can, assess what the traffic and conditions and possible hazzards are ahead of you and adjust as you feel the need.

In doing this I have averted a lot of possible 'hazardous situations' ..... still been in a few crashes I couldnt avoid tho hehe but hey ... isnt that the thrill of 2 wheels.

I do about a quarter million KMs a year on the road, in car, bigrig and motorcycle.
I tend to watch other motorists and guess what they are going to do, years ago in one of the Ambulance 'transport' training sessions the lecturer said something I always remembered...... "ALWAYS treat the other road users as idiots and expect them to do something stupid" I think with todays motorists its even more relevant today as it was way back then when motorists were more sensible and curteous.
when approaching traffic lights if cars are waiting at reds I expect an orange at any time and am already assessing what if it goes green to orange and can I stop rather than think of these scanarios when the light changes.
and also continually scan my mirrors so I not only know whats around and in front of me but whats happening behind, then you can be more aware of "if I suddenly stop will the guy behind me in time"..... dont yah love tailgaters ...... in my teen days I used to flick the 'A' stand to the tarmac to send 2 lines of sparks back to discourage the tailgater hehehe but sheesh ,..... killed the stand tho LOL and guess today that would get one a ticket LOL

Id recomend attending one or more of the training days the clubs run, they get advertised on here, most of my 'riding skills' were learned back then on a bike (and occasionally on my ass) but the up and comming riders have the advantage of a huge pool of training and experienced riders that are willing to teach and coach...... take the opportunity and attend such training and look at joining the local club as theres a lot of members that can help and advise.

[hitch]

There is some godd advise in the thread, I also ways slow the flow when approaching intersection etc, thanks for asking this question as I too have had some thoughts sorted.

[Roj]

cruising at 107 - 110km/h then with about 40m to go till the lights it turns orange. Now if i was in my car it would of been on my imaginary (too late to break now/ just gun it through mode) line.
Questions:
How far out from lights is too close to try and stop if it goes orange(so i can create my imaginary line)?
Should i have been able to stop (my poor braking technique or something?

There have been a number of threads on braking distances, a few figures came up, around 50 metres is an acceptable figure from your speed, but this needs a few disclaimers:
1 the rider has good techinique and good reaction times
2 the need to stop has been anticipated
3 the bike in question is in good condition
4 the road is in good condition (not wet etc)

( and there are always many variables to consider )

a vehicle travelling at 100 k will travel about 28 metres in one second so if you take half a second to react you would go from 40 metres to around 26 metres from the lights before you would begin braking, for the average rider that is simply not enough distance to safely stop from 100 ks
At 110ks you are going about 30 metres per second so this coumpounds it even more

and has been pointed out you always have to worry about the vehicle behind you, being hit frombehind in a car at low speeds is not normally a major issue but on a bike even at low speeds the results are a lot worse.

[imdying]

It's a pain sometimes, most the lights seem phased well enough to give you enough time, but not always.

I normally go through the orange, easier/safer to keep going than stop. However, I always look for late right turning traffic. If there is a car wanting to turn right, I always go for the stopping option. Prick of a choice in the wet, but I'd rather slide on my butt than get run over

[Macktheknife]

Seems all the best advice has been given already so let me just re-emphasise,
Check ahead and anticipate light changes,
Check behind and anticipate idiots not stopping,
Have a 'committed' point of no return line,
Adjust your riding to the conditions,
Get a mentor or coach to work with you on your braking skills.

[Cajun]

didn't really read any of the replys, but there is a thing called stale green light,

If you did not see it turn from red/green, expect it at any time to change, so you should adjust your speed to be able to stop.

[Nasty]

didn't really read any of the replys, but there is a thing called stale green light,

If you did not see it turn from red/green, expect it at any time to change, so you should adjust your speed to be able to stop.

If you ride the road everyday ... then you should know the light phasing .. and approximately how it works ... Once I get that sussed I know how fast at what points I should be travelling to work in with the phases ...

[Grub]

I'd personally ask "Would the vehicle behind me be able to stop". You stopping fast might translate to you being mowed down by the driver behind you....

Never a truer word.

In that situation my first action is to look behind and see what that wanker is doing. As Cola says, for many the Orange means "floor it!" and that can mean right over the top of you being goodie-two-shoes.

[cynna]

there is normally oil and fuel on the road at lights where cars have been waiting. that doesnt help when u need to stop in a hurry

[rok-the-boat]

Problem with stopping quickly near junctions is all the oil and grease that acumulates there by waiting cars and trucks.

[sedge]

Um... If it changes and you think you can stop easily (without overbraking) stop... If you think you'll be braking harder than normal, don't stop.

You should never have to brake harder than you are conmfortable with.

Oh yeah... Conversly to your opinion, bikes stop a LOT faster than cars do, even in the wet.

Plus, the lights on the motorways have longer dwell times to expand the 'dilemma zone' (TM Drum) to your advantage.

Sedge.

[Daffyd]

One more idea...if you have someone behind you, touch the back brake pedal to bring on your stoplight. That would tell the following car that you're slowing down - even if you're not.