Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin
In Québec, a New Traffic Light Only Turns Green for Safe Drivers (streetsblog.org)
36 points by colinprince on Oct 8, 2023 | hide | past | favorite | 28 comments


This was yanked almost immediately after it was deployed and announced:

https://globalnews.ca/news/9785851/quebec-transport-ministry...


> This was yanked almost immediately after it was deployed and announced:

And I think that was the right call. These were just "slow down" lights styled to look like stop lights, but a stop light-looking thing must in all cases actually be an enforced stop light. Otherwise, you're just training drivers to run red lights once they figure it out.


And apparently got a name change.

Focus groups showed that drivers are more responsive to traffic lights named Earl, than Fred. Probably.


I hadn’t heard of this approach before. Clever. At what distance does the light turn green? Is it easy to spoil for safe drivers by coming up behind them?


Hold on - what if I’m flying in, it turns red. I then sit there at a red light, unable to move forward. What’s the escape route I’m missing?


I’m guessing it just stays red for long enough to be annoying and then lets you through?


Exactly. It stays red for a few seconds.


If you're stopped at a red light, you are most likely driving below the speed limit.


If you are respecting the speed limit, it turns green well before you would have to hit the brakes to come to stop.

> Is it easy to spoil for safe drivers by coming up behind them?

What? No. You are first in line, at the correct speed, so why would the light react to somebody coming behind you? The other car cannot go through you, so they will have to slow down no matter what.


Right, so the question comes from combining the two things you said.

You get a green while you’re still a ways back, and proceed forward. A speeder crosses that same trigger point before you’ve gotten through the intersection. They’re trying to catch up with you so they get through the light right behind you. Do they get a free green or do they make your light turn red while you’re far enough back to have to stop?

Have you used it, by the way? My question was about the specific timing and placement of the trigger.


> Have you used it, by the way?

I have not used FRED no, but living in Europe, I have frequently come across dynamic stop lights, yes.

> A speeder crosses that same trigger point [..] Do they get a free green or do they make your light turn red.

Normally they are not controlled via a single trigger point, but with a dynamic radar system. So even if you come in too fast, turning the light red, it can still switch back to green if you slow down in time.

I don't know how the beam discrimination works if it detects scatter from a faster moving object behind you, but in practice I've never encountered a scenario where I was forced to stop because someone was coming in faster from behind.


Gotcha. Thanks! I hope to experience one of these.


> Quebec also has automated enforcement cameras that will issue fines when they detect drivers who exceed speed limits or ignore red lights.

Don't issue fines, issue points.

Including for turning right on a red - you don't drive ahead on a red, so why is driving into a crossing tolerated.


The idea behind right on red is similar to a merge. Both lanes are going in the same direction do there’s only coordinating distance between the cars to manage.

I can’t tell if you are aware, apologies, but right on red is legal in all of North America outside of a few municipalities, Montreal being one, with NYC being the largest.


When there's a straight road ahead, no junction just a straight road, but a red light for a pedestrian crossing, cars must stop.

But when there's a turn into a pedestrian crossing, and the light's red, no stop is required.

That's madness, yet it's an often accepted default.


> But when there's a turn into a pedestrian crossing, and the light's red, no stop is required.

If you’re turning right on a red (at least in Ontario and Quebec) it’s like a stop sign - you are required to come to a complete stop before you proceed into the intersection.


In France we remove points for all kind of things, what we ended up with is 700 000 people driving without a license, which means without insurance. It also increases the number of people who don't stop after an accident or when asked to stop by the police

Fines are a valid tool but they should scale with your revenues


Is turning right on red not legal in Quebec? It is in Ontario.


Related from earlier today:

San Francisco could ban right-hand turns on red. Could L.A. soon follow?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37815392


Right turn on red is in fact illegal in quebec.


Turning right on a red light is permitted everywhere in Québec, except on the island of Montréal and in places where a sign prohibits it.


Apparently this changed about ten years ago: https://web.archive.org/web/20110716214404/http://www.mtq.go...



Fines bring funding.


There are lots of them around where I live in France, but interestingly enough I've never seen them anywhere else in the country.

I generally like the idea, expect there are two nearby that are somehow poorly calibrated are require you to get even below the speed limit to get green, and this is particularly frustrating.


We've had these at some intersections in the Netherlands for at least 15 years.


Every town in Portugal has these at the entrance to the city


Seen this in Slovenia almost 20 years ago.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: