Rant Thirty

jeepinmatt

jeepinmatt

Old, fat, and grumpy.
Moderator
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Location
Stanley, NC
Those stupid flashing yellow arrows at stoplights. For the first 30+ years of my life, a simple green circular light was plenty sufficient for people to know what to do. But somehow, somewhy, in the past 5+ years, some asshat decided "we should put a flashing yellow arrow if the turning lane does not have right of way" as if that was gonna magically make shitty drivers less shitty. I was going down a 4 lane road this weekend, the 2 straight lanes on my side have green circles, but the left turn lane and right turn lane both have flashing yellow arrows. It got me to thinking and analyzing what I didn't like about it, which made me realize that not only is it something I don't like, but it's also wrong and bad for drivers.
1. Flashing things draw attention. You should be focused on driving, not watching the flashy light unless that light needs your attention.
2. Arrows imply right of way. This is the only arrow light that doesn't. If it were a green arrow, you have right of way, if it were a green circle, you do not and must yield to oncoming traffic with right of way. The yellow arrow kinda means you don't have right of way. Well, except when you do, like turning right off that 4 lane road I was driving this weekend.
3. Yellow means the green light is about to turn into a red light and the current direction of travel is going to lose right of way and must make a decision: either clear the intersection by proceeding or keep the intersection clear by stopping at the white line. Except that's not what the flashing yellow light means.
4. It requires additional effort and focus time to discern if it is flashing or solid. If you have to watch a flashing light to know whether it is flashing or solid, your eyes are not focused on driving and the traffic around you. Here's an example from this morning. Is this light flashing yellow or solid yellow?

1773175952633.png


Obviously at the moment of the picture, it was solid enough to illuminate on the camera sensor, but it was in fact a flashing yellow arrow.

There are multiple intersections I go through on a daily basis that have the flashing yellow right turn arrows and a double turning lane. When the perpendicular cross traffic has a green left turning arrow, the right turning traffic from my direction is supposed to yield to U-turners. I am a fast processor and "assertive" driver and I still find myself overly distracted and hesitant in this scenario. I'm obviously not alone, because most people don't even go until the light turns green again. Except it doesn't turn green, it just keeps flashing yellow, and then finally someone 3 cars back (me!) notices the straight lanes now have a green light and its clear to go. But there is no distinction between the change of right of way. Why is the right turning lane yellow or flashing in this case? It should be a solid green arrow. You can friggin turn right, and have the right of way. And guess what...when that flashing yellow arrow is ready to turn red, it doesn't change colors, it just stops flashing. But its hard to notice, because its already been that color and already been flashing, so now instead of looking to be alerted because something STARTS flashing, you instead have to be alerted for it to STOP flashing. The whole thing is just ridiculous and confusing and needs to be gotten rid of. I know I'm just an old man yelling at a cloud, but am I alone in this hatred? Am I missing some key element that makes all the other issues with this design worth it?
 
I feel you bro, @jeepinmatt. I have a u-turn I have to use to get home every day. Yellow flasher and no sign that says "u-turn must yield to right turn". Right turn has a hard red, but they are watching traffic to go right on red. I am also, so we go at the same time, even though I have the right of way. It's fun slamming brakes right at their door, knowing they are in the wrong. It's a stupid traffic setup asking for collisions. It works for us who understand traffic laws, but it is inviting trouble for the less intelligent.

If I needed a new bumper or right front quarter panel, I could get them several times a week.
 
Except one thing. One driving rule that has been taught since I started driving. Yellow means proceed with caution.⚠️ Lights & signs.
Red means stop, green means go.

Agreed that a green circle when in a turning situation means it’s ok WHEN TRAFFIC IS CLEAR and is sufficient in my book. But to you point… it’s for this guy…
GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
 
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How about when there is a long line trying to turn left with a yellow flashing arrow. There is so much oncoming traffic that only 1 car can turn every light cycle. You wait until the next cycle but it goes from red to flashing yellow back to red, never a green protected arrow.
 
mbalbritton said:
Except one thing. One driving rule that has been taught since I started driving. Yellow means proceed with caution.⚠️ Lights & signs.
Red means stop, green means go.

Agreed that a green circle when in a turning situation means it’s ok WHEN TRAFFIC IS CLEAR and is sufficient in my book. But to you point… it’s for this guy…
GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Click to expand...
It doesn't help those people. And since its an arrow, it implies right of way. Except you don't have right of way. It is effectively the same as a redlight. On a redlight, you can turn right if nothing is coming. But if someone is doing a U-turn, you can't pull out in front of them, because you have a redlight, not a greenlight. So I am unable to understand why we need a flashing yellow arrow to indicate what was already permissible. And if it's green, you can turn right uninhibited, so again, I am unable to understand why we need a flashing yellow arrow to indicate what was already permissible.
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
How about when there is a long line trying to turn left with a yellow flashing arrow. There is so much oncoming traffic that only 1 car can turn every light cycle. You wait until the next cycle but it goes from red to flashing yellow back to red, never a green protected arrow.
Click to expand...
That's a signal or traffic design malfunction and can be reported. We had a light like that near my office, never ever gave a green arrow, and cars would back up for a hundred yards even though it was a low traffic turn. Put in a request to the DOT and they had it fixed within 3 days. NCDOT Contact Us Form
 
jeepinmatt said:
It doesn't help those people. And since it’s an arrow, it implies right of way. Except you don't have right of way. It is effectively the same as a redlight. On a redlight, you can turn right if nothing is coming. But if someone is doing a U-turn, you can't pull out in front of them, because you have a redlight, not a greenlight. So I am unable to understand why we need a flashing yellow arrow to indicate what was already permissible. And if it's green, you can turn right uninhibited, so again, I am unable to understand why we need a flashing yellow arrow to indicate what was already permissible.
Click to expand...
Reverse it.

Prior to yellow blinky arrow Mrs dumb bitch saw a green light and thought entitled her to go wherever the fuck whenever the fuck she wanted.

To you and me, that doesn’t mean across traffic, but to her it does.

It’s for the dumb.
 
Two lanes to the left with a red means both can go, after a stop to observe, and then proceed into your respective lane to the right. NOT wait for the light to turn green.


Same as turn lane from the opposite side of an intersection. I can make my right (from the opposing side of the intersection into my first available lane at the same time). The problem is the traffic coming from the opposing side (straight across who are tirning) are fawking lazy and swerve out into my lane.

FIRST LANE OF TRAVEL!
 
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