Road works are dangerous...

redddraggon

On my ride today I nearly had a confrontation with a few motorists.

They've started digging one of the roads of my route up, leaving only one lane free to traffic, and using traffic lights to control the flow of traffic. The only problem is that the road works are approx 1/2 a mile long - as I was getting to the end of the roads works cars from the other direction started driving at me, I'd definitely gone on a GREEN, but the drivers were giving me hand signals (which I rightfully returned)

I wasn't going slow (17-18mph), but why had the ones who put the lights in place failed to time them correctly? Idiots

rossbarney2003

redddraggon wrote:

On my ride today I nearly had a confrontation with a few motorists.

They've started digging one of the roads of my route up, leaving only one lane free to traffic, and using traffic lights to control the flow of traffic. The only problem is that the road works are approx 1/2 a mile long - as I was getting to the end of the roads works cars from the other direction started driving at me, I'd definitely gone on a GREEN, but the drivers were giving me hand signals (which I rightfully returned)

I wasn't going slow (17-18mph), but why had the ones who put the lights in place failed to time them correctly? Idiots

I have had this exact same problem in the past. I hated it.

I'm not a fan of temporary traffic lights at all! One time a road that I cycled along was being dug up and was also down to one lane. They put in temporary traffic lights at each end, but failed to notice the exit to a car park half way along the single track road, so every so often you would get a car coming out of the car park, and trying to go the opposite way to the oncoming cars since they didn't have any traffic lights!

campagone

You probably arrived at the light just before it turned red, and by the time you where half way through the other side had turned green, there is usually a delay between the lights to allow the traffic to pass through but obviously it wasn't long enough in this case. Probably just bad timing but the motorists were a bit unsympathetic though.

SteveR_100Milers

Ride faster man!

redddraggon

campagone wrote:

You probably arrived at the light just before it turned red

Nope I got there when it was on red and waited until it was green with 3 cars and a m/cycle, so it had just gone green when I went through.

johnnyc71

You should have sprinted full pelt for 1/2 mile!

Seriously though - that's a tough situation to find yourself in - glad your ok.

Lagavulin

I've encountered temp lights which clearly haven't been synched properly.
I've normally kept a car behind me and it’s normally the tail-end Charlie that gets the oncoming traffics grievances.

One of my real hates at the minute is my local council’s current fad of narrowing what are essentially wide roads down to single file with alternating priority. Even at the junctions where I have priority, I find it astonishing the amount of drivers who don’t count a bike as valid road users. Personally I haven’t spotted any small print on the indicating signs that states “Oncoming traffic has priority unless it’s a bicycle”

iainment

campagone wrote:

You probably arrived at the light just before it turned red, and by the time you where half way through the other side had turned green, there is usually a delay between the lights to allow the traffic to pass through but obviously it wasn't long enough in this case. Probably just bad timing but the motorists were a bit unsympathetic though.

There's no fooling you is there!

lateralus

Lagavulin wrote:

I've encountered temp lights which clearly haven't been synched properly.

Yes, never assume the things are working properly - the ones outside my son's nursery were stuck on red in both directions the other day. Caused no end of mayhem as cars from the back of the queue decided something was up and charged down the wrong side of the road past the cars at the front of the queue who were obviously planning on waiting until someone came and fixed them.....

SmellTheGlove

Is it possible that the drivers coming the other way believed they were entitled to drive through the red at their end of the works? There are people out there who believe that temp lights unlike permanent ones (e.g. at junctions) are not mandatory - in fact, out with it, I'm one of them! Cycling or driving I usually drive through if I can see nothing coming the opposite direction.

Common sense tells me that they should be discretionary; permanent controlled junctions etc are in my mind, a different kettle of fish.

lateralus

well, apart from the aforesaid numpties who were just sitting there, it was pretty apparent after a minute or so that something was up, and that we would all have to use our common sense (not that many tried!). As the two sets of lights were all of 20 yards apart, it wasn't that big a deal.

Where the "discretionary" theory doesn't work is the situation described by the OP, where there is a long gap between them and you set off down the single lane not able to tell what is at the other end. As far as I'm concerned, temp lights are just as mandatory as permanent ones, but someone ought to jolly well check that they work!

robbie the roadie

SmellTheGlove wrote:

There are people out there who believe that temp lights unlike permanent ones (e.g. at junctions) are not mandatory

These people are muppets. Would you honestly do this on a 1/2 mile long stretch of road? :roll:

andy_wrx

SmellTheGlove wrote:

There are people out there who believe that temp lights unlike permanent ones (e.g. at junctions) are not mandatory

Rubbish ! Of course they're mandatory

Except they only apply to other people, not to me...

nwallace

I'm sure I read once that if a set of traffic lights are clearly faulty then you have just reason to consider it a give way. Probably in a forum rant somewhere about faulty traffic lights.

1/2 mile long, ick I hate not being able to see the end of a light controlled lane reduction. At least on a 2 wheeler you can dive into a gap when you come across the arse that thinks it's safe to take them at the speed limit,

gkerr4

Lagavulin wrote:

One of my real hates at the minute is my local council’s current fad of narrowing what are essentially wide roads down to single file with alternating priority. Even at the junctions where I have priority, I find it astonishing the amount of drivers who don’t count a bike as valid road users. Personally I haven’t spotted any small print on the indicating signs that states “Oncoming traffic has priority unless it’s a bicycle”

I hate these things too - I really do!

best thing - if you have your gloves on - just take their wing mirrors off with your hand as you pass them by.

doesn't stop them doing it again - but it is satisfying.

Ieuanllan

I tend to shout
"You wouldn't do that to a car!!!"
When people pull out in front of me etc, but no-one seems to take much notice, apart from occasional innocent bystanders...