Traffic lights out + drivers not stopping = RAGE!!!!

[CaptSmethwick]

I have to say that I don't see this behaviour very often here in the Ottawa area.

[Emancipated]

My friend almost got t-boned last saturday storm hit us at intersection when the power was out. Everyone treated it as a 4 way stop except a woman in a SUV pretty much just ran right through at 70-80km/h.

Woman + SUV = reckless driving

1 + 1 = 2

It's a universal law!

[blainehamilton]

Same bloody thing the day before yesterday here in Edmonton.

High winds caused power outages, and a few major intersections were out, including 142st and 149st on Yellowhead Trail. Very MAJOR intersections.

What a gong show. Some people were treating it like a 4 way stop, yeilding to the driver on the right, and going in turn.

Others would roll thru without stopping, only slowing slightly.

Cops were on scene directing traffic pretty quick from what I hear, but not until after I got thru.

Another call for mandatory licence testing EVERY YEAR. I bet 20-30% would fail the first try.

[johnboy]

We had a pretty bad storm in Edmonton this afternoon, I was travelling around the city for work.

Many traffic lights were out completely or flashing red all 4 ways at intersections all over the city.

Normally, a good driver would treat the intersection as a 4 way stop. Instead, people were breezing thru intersections without stopping, not yielding to the driver on the right, and just about hit me on several occasions.

About 4 blocks from my house, I stopped for a set of lights flashing red all 4 ways, and then headed into the intersection. A driver coming from my right had to lock up all 4 wheels and laid on his horn since he had no intention of stopping for his flashing red.

Some drivers are such jackasses. I am all for mandatory road testing EVERY year.

Maybe the guy was scared of ramming into you. That is why he honked. Who knows... If lights fashing red or completely out, it's obvious to treat it like a 4 way stop. Some people just don't care. dummies.

[marcopolo85]

Never really experienced that kind of bad driving here in ontario. From what ive seen everyone follows the rules and treats flashing red light as allway stop.

[Kellster]

The phrase "Doing what I know is right" has been replaced with "Doing whatever the hell I think I can get away with".

The average common, simple person (slobs basicly) is ignorant, belligerent and selfish. It's not that they don't know what they are doing. It is really just a matter of they don't care what they are doing.

Nothing a good hard kick in the ass wont solve.

[Kellster]

Woman + SUV = reckless driving

1 + 1 = 2

It's a universal law!

You mean a ditzy b!tch in an SUV full of screaming little brats, who is ignoring the road while yapping away on a cell phone?

[srg83]

I've always wondered how exactly you're supposed to act in those situations, especially with huge intersections (like the ones which have three lanes in each direction, plus the left-turn lane).

I'd imagine there'd be multiple cars that come to a stop at the same time from every direction.

Wouldn't it be nearly impossible for you to keep track of what cars were already stopped when you stopped, and what order they can proceed?

Then you'd have those who'd skip their turn, messing up the order.

Or are you supposed to be a bit aggressive, and assert your way through after you've stopped?

I've found that if it's a really major intersection, or one that is prone to many accidents, they get the police in there to guide people through.

Otherwise though, in a 4-way stop situation you're supposed to yield to the person on the right. After that...well, if it's the turn for one person to go straight across, then might as well everyone going across go (no more than one car per lane at a time of course). Same with left turns, etc.

[MS MSP]

I've been driving in Ontario -- GTA region -- for the past 5 yrs. Yet I have not noticed a single "lights-out" runner here.

I've lived in Toronto for 9 years and see this all the time.

I have almost been rear-ended countless times while stopping at an intersection.

[Tomy]

I've found that if it's a really major intersection, or one that is prone to many accidents, they get the police in there to guide people through.

Otherwise though, in a 4-way stop situation you're supposed to yield to the person on the right. After that...well, if it's the turn for one person to go straight across, then might as well everyone going across go (no more than one car per lane at a time of course). Same with left turns, etc.

only if everyone arrived at the intersection at the same time. Otherwise, flashing red is jsut a normal typical stop sign.

flashing yellow light is approach with caution.. and 90% of the people treat a flashing yellow like a stop sign... sigh

[Nyte]

only if everyone arrived at the intersection at the same time. Otherwise, flashing red is jsut a normal typical stop sign.

flashing yellow light is approach with caution.. and 90% of the people treat a flashing yellow like a stop sign... sigh

I've also seen intersections where one set of lights are flashing yellow while the other set is flashing red, essentially turning it into a 2 way stop.

[noob666]

I've always wondered how exactly you're supposed to act in those situations, especially with huge intersections (like the ones which have three lanes in each direction, plus the left-turn lane).

I'd imagine there'd be multiple cars that come to a stop at the same time from every direction.

Wouldn't it be nearly impossible for you to keep track of what cars were already stopped when you stopped, and what order they can proceed?

Then you'd have those who'd skip their turn, messing up the order.

Or are you supposed to be a bit aggressive, and assert your way through after you've stopped?

do you value your life ?

if it's in a situation like this, i don't care if i need to wait like 5 -10 min or even longer to get cross the light.

Think about some jerk just ran the light like the other poster said, it's your life on the line for god sake.

and i do agree to some poster said there should be some new way/law for the driving test, i've been driving in GTA for the past 20 yrs, i can't beleive how some people pass there driving test ( i.e. corolla driver)

[srg83]

only if everyone arrived at the intersection at the same time. Otherwise, flashing red is jsut a normal typical stop sign.

flashing yellow light is approach with caution.. and 90% of the people treat a flashing yellow like a stop sign... sigh

Yeah, sorry that's what I meant. I was responding to the situation where people stop at the same time.

[longitude]

this is nothing new. The average common, simple person is selfish and mindless....they just don't care about anybody other than themself.

+1^

[GunnerX]

This is very common in Richmond Hill and Markham areas in the GTA. Traffic lights losing power seem to be very common in these areas and every time I encounter one I prepare for the worst. A lot of people stop properly like they're supposed to but 3 or for cars behind them couldn't care less. Once that car goes through the intersection properly, these cars behind them fly through the intersection too. I have learned to be very very cautious when I see those red blinking lights.