To: Mark Harper
Implement the flashing yellow mode on UK traffic lights
Request to implement the yellow flashing mode on traffic lights.
Why is this important?
It would make situations where traffic lights have gone faulty safer and easier for drivers to understand.
In many foreign countries - Europe and America for example, when traffic lights are either inactive or defective they change to a flashing yellow mode (as can be seen in the Disney movie Cars).
This advises drivers that the traffic lights are either not active or defective and they should proceed with caution.
In the UK however we have a system where defective traffic lights go to an 'all-red' mode and temporary traffic lights just turn themselves off when they're not active.
This type of system however causes confusion for drivers - when the traffic lights fail and go to all red both sides are sat there looking at each other not sure who should make the first move or whether the light itself is just a bit delayed changing. Seeing a flashing yellow would give the drivers on both sides an indication that the lights have malfunctioned and therfore they should take it in turns. In addition to this it would stop motorists having to take the risk at faulty lights of disobeying the red light or waiting until someone arrives to fix the light.
Also a similar thing can happen on temporary lights too - when a temporary light is turned off at present the light just goes fully off to indicate it is not in use, however on some occasions I have approached temporary lights and found the red light to be out even though the light is active. Now had drivers not noticed the other lights they might misconcieve the red light being out as the light being inactive - but again if the light is flashing yellow when it's inactive the drivers approaching a light with a red light out would be aware that the lights are actually active and that is just a blown bulb.
In many foreign countries - Europe and America for example, when traffic lights are either inactive or defective they change to a flashing yellow mode (as can be seen in the Disney movie Cars).
This advises drivers that the traffic lights are either not active or defective and they should proceed with caution.
In the UK however we have a system where defective traffic lights go to an 'all-red' mode and temporary traffic lights just turn themselves off when they're not active.
This type of system however causes confusion for drivers - when the traffic lights fail and go to all red both sides are sat there looking at each other not sure who should make the first move or whether the light itself is just a bit delayed changing. Seeing a flashing yellow would give the drivers on both sides an indication that the lights have malfunctioned and therfore they should take it in turns. In addition to this it would stop motorists having to take the risk at faulty lights of disobeying the red light or waiting until someone arrives to fix the light.
Also a similar thing can happen on temporary lights too - when a temporary light is turned off at present the light just goes fully off to indicate it is not in use, however on some occasions I have approached temporary lights and found the red light to be out even though the light is active. Now had drivers not noticed the other lights they might misconcieve the red light being out as the light being inactive - but again if the light is flashing yellow when it's inactive the drivers approaching a light with a red light out would be aware that the lights are actually active and that is just a blown bulb.
