Hi Guys:D
Why do a lot of drivers need to be honked at when the light turns green?
I noticed that I need to honk for at least one driver every day when the light turns green. No I am not an impatient driver that honks within 1 second of the light turning green. I give the car in front at least 6 seconds to move off before I honk at them.
Cheers:)
This 100%….you couldn't drive older cars without the lights on at night because you couldn't see the instruments.
Modern cars are fully lit even with your lights off.
Add to that modern full spectrum street lighting and it's sometimes hard to see if your lights are on or not.
Basically, excluding auto headlights… Modern technology has made the problem worse
Add in dark raining conditions also or sunset. Can't see other cars ahead or in my mirrors half the time, especially grey or darker cars. Its why I've got my car set to daytime lights on.
The amount of cars I flash to give them a hint their lights aren't on…
Let's not talk about the high % of cars that don't have working brake lights, or half of them don't work.
I knew you were from Sydney when I read your comment. The amount of people I’ve seen on the roads (some on their P plates, like what the heck?) driving at night without their lights on is just mind boggling. I never saw as many drivers drive without their lights on at night in Melbourne compared to Sydney. There is something wrong with driver education in this state.
I like to just sit behind them when the light is green, waiting, i see my life as a comedy so this small scene fits in nicely.
Wait .. We go on Green ? I thought we Go on the Honk ?
Damn it….
PS OP are all your Forum questions going to be Traffic related ?
Because they are waiting for a lighter shade of green!!
Normally they're waiting for a personal invitation
Wasn't that a New York Second. The amount of time between the lights turning green and the taxi behind you honking.
The driver is probably not very well red.
Why do assholes feel the need to honk at the lights?
Yesterday saw one laying on the horn and gesticulating wildly as the learner in front of him waited for the oncoming traffic to clear. Yes, the oncoming traffic was also turning right … but learner.
Yesterday saw one laying on the horn and gesticulating wildly as the learner in front of him waited for the oncoming traffic to clear.
I've got to say - that's pretty f'd up. Those idiots don't remember that we were all once there too.
From my perspective, it's also a good opportunity to teach the Learner keep their cool, take their time on their own judgement, and ignore the raging idiots honking behind.
If they are going to be driving regularly later, there'll be plenty of opportunity to learn!
Absolutely agree. Honking a stressed out learner achieves nothing. A person would have to be a real d-bag to do something like that.
I am very patient and understanding of learner drivers.
And why do ArSeh0les honk at t-intersections when they can’t even see there are cars going by?
Honking a learner driver and honking in general are two very different things.
Honking generally - because some people are distracted and need a kick to get going? It's pretty simple. The (profanity) isn't honking, the (profanity) is holding people up.
Honking a learner in that situation is pretty crap.
Haha NSW knew it.
On the flip side I moved to Sydney and most people seem to honk you as soon as the light turns green (I've has a couple of pre-emptive ones that honk while the lights still red too).
If I got tooted while it's red I'm definitely waiting an extra second or two once it's green.
Sydney people (especially Western Sydney) seem to honk if you're not rolling off the line when the lights still red. And not a hey wake up honk, a proper get f***ing moving sort of honk.
Glad I don't have to be part of that anymore.
And don't get me started on Western Sydney parking. My unit was in a dead end where you could park at the end. People would park diagonally so they could fit between someone on the side and someone at the end, double park alongside a car (saw it there in the road with no driver for at least 2 hours). A couple of times I even saw people parking perpendicular to the line of traffic (with half the car out onto the road).
Driving through Sydney, it wasn't just isolated to that area, it's absurd.
With the amount of cars that run reds these days, if I'm at the front I like to check to ensure the traffic has actually stopped before I take off.
Naturally I do this when their lights go amber and I can see most are slowing down.
I used to live in Chatswood and the amount of drivers that would run reds at major pedestrian crossing intersections was ridiculous. See it a lot on the road and I want to avoid getting T-boned by some idiot running a red.
Running a red just as it turns red is one thing. I recently saw a car run a red when our lights turned green. That's a good 3-4 seconds of it being red ffs.
I think checking cars are actually stopped before crossing an intersection is a must.
I will never just trust my life just by looking at the traffic lights.
Yes I see people running red all the time.
Eg. I was at an intersection waiting to turn right and it was red, that light does take at least 2-3 mins and the car behind me stopped for more than a minute already. It was still red and the car behind just decide to start moving before I even move.
Or, I was behind this car that was comploetely stopped at the lights when red. The pedestrian was still crossing the road half way while the pedestrian traffic light was still green and suddenly the car just decide to start taking off almost running over the pedestrian.
Sydneysiders are impatient af.
Because as others have said, they're not paying attention to the road, most likely phone or other device in the car, or staring out of the window.
I've noticed an uptick in people staying in the right hand lane on freeways oblivious they are blocking traffic too, i.e. doing under the speed limit.
Yesterday, I flashed my lights a few times and had my hand up pointing to the left hoping they'd see and move. Even tried a couple of quick honks of the horn. Nothing.
It got to the point I had to hold my hand on my horn and flash my lights non-stop until they finally moved.
Out of interest, how much under the speed limit do you think those vehicles were travelling at?
Well considering I was sitting on 100 (the speed limit) and if I didn't brake, I would have run up the back of them.
And considering I slowed down to match their speed, it got down to 90km/h.
Never mind the fact that over 80km/h, vehicles must stay left unless overtaking.
I see this multiple times a day. They mostly sit at 90km in the right with people scrambling to get around them.
Phone fiddlers.
Phallus fiddlers.
Yes, it can be annoying.
Yes, those drivers are probably not concentrating, most likely on their phones when they shouldn't be, etc.
But it isn't very often that you wouldn't get through the lights on that green, so why honk? Just chill out man.
Distracted drivers are dangerous. Personally, I'd rather not accept it.
and lets begin the slippery slope… Where does it stop? "They only put you in hospital. It's not like they killed you…. chill out man!"
I'd suggest nipping the problem in the bud when it's less dangerous so it doesn't get out of hand.
Could not disagree with this more. Traffic flow is dependent on the maximum number of cars getting around on the green arrow. It really shouldn't be that hard if you are in a turning lane to pay attention when the light is about to go green, and take off quickly when it does.
If a person is not attentive at a stop light, what's the chance they're not attentive on the move?
I drive a car and ride a motorcycle.
So the less amount of people on the road not paying attention, the better, for me, and everyone else, as my life is on the line when I choose to ride my motorcycle.
Yes, it can be annoying.
Yes, those drivers are probably not concentrating, most likely on their phones when they shouldn't be, etc.
"Yes, their carelessness could kill a family"
But it isn't very often that you wouldn't get through the lights on that green, so why honk? Just chill out man.
🤡
"I give the car in front at least 6 seconds to move off before I honk"
In my area, I would get honked for not honking sooner.
And if you leave it that long, it is likely they will realize just as it goes orange so they make it and no-one else does.
Ugh that does my head in - when they finally go and get through but you're left with a red.
Because they are on thier phones.
It’s worse driving down a 2 lane road, and people going the opposite direction driving over the centre line. Parts of Melbourne (like Blackburn Rd near Super Cheap Auto), it’s like running a gauntlet
..and people going the opposite direction driving over the centre line.
Speaking of lines, I've seen some pretty dodgey line markings on Melbourne roads. Spencer St in the CBD is probably the worst. There's a few places along the road where the corner of the rectangular box marked out for parking is in the actual driving lane. When there's a car parked in the spot, the corner of the parked car causes the lane to narrow at the point. Anyone that's not familar with that road will likely end up swinging wide into the next lane and I'm surprised there haven't been that many sideswipes.
Busy looking on Ozbargains for bargains
Ok to horn, but situation may turn ugly into a road rage rage if front driver finds it offensive.
I'm not making excuses….but sometimes you (in general) can't see the green/ green turn arrow for some reason or other.
Like being blind? I can’t think of any other reason!
Occasionally lights can be on the fritz and/or power outage.
Weather/Sun can make it difficult to see.
Shrubbery/trees may need to be pruned and obstracting view.
Driver could be having a nap.
You may be in the middle of a burn out and facing the wrong way… there's so many possibilities.
I can only imagine witnessing someone driving through braile. A scary, but it could be entertaining to watch if you're not involved. I used to play indoor cricket with a "legally blind" friend. It was an experience.
I'm tall so if the lights are closely spaced (typically small intersections or T junctions), I can't see the lights from the front of the queue without bending my head down. If in this situation I will periodically bend my head down to check and also monitor the other roads into the intersection for signs the lights are about to change. But I can not keep my head down continuously just so I can take off within 1 second of the lights changing otherwise I will cramp my neck.
maybe it's the modern cars with stop/start systems?
add the driver reaction time to lift off the brake, and a second to start the engine, and then another moment for the driver to hit GO,…
Moved away from the city where (profanity) idiots tried to kill me daily on my motorbike, sometimes because I could lane split or filter and they were left behind, the car has brought about an angry car using society and those not angry are often selfish, using technology illegally etc, of course there's some decent people behind the wheel but it felt like it was all just fools out to end anybody around them.
Now need to drive about 160k's at 100k's an hour to see a traffic light, and life is good.
They are legally blind, so they need the audio prompt to go
Drivers are on their phones constantly and they don’t see the lights change. When I am on my motorbike I don’t bother honking and just go round them if I am second in queue. On my general travels I make a point to look at the drivers in oncoming cars. The amount of heads looking down is truly scary. I am almost tempted to honk them but I don’t know how that would go down.
I was sitting next a young woman on her phone at the lights.
The car behind her beeped their horn for some reason while the lights were still red and she just started accelerating without looking up straight into the back of a truck. She was blaming the driver who used the horn trying to get their details for causing the accident. Everyone said no you are at fault but she wouldn't listen and kept blaming the other driver saying I wouldn't have moved if they hadn't used the horn.
😂😂
Well technically i think there is a law that you arent meant to use the horn excessively or for the "wrong reasons" but who knows how often cops actually do anything about it.
Honking to get a driver off their phones at a light seems pretty reasonable though.
This happened to mum when she was younger, at a busy roundabout.
Hence what I'll teach me siblings..
classic, too funny
The car behind her beeped their horn for some reason while the lights were still red and she just started accelerating without looking up straight into the back of a truck.
I've always wanted to do this to someone
I find it probably happens more where the lights take a long time to turn green, where you arent the major road or you are turning onto another road etc, so at times you are paying attention then when it starts to take a while your mind wanders or you look to the side at the shops or something someone is doing etc and thats just when the lights decide to change :).
Especially the ones that keep edging forward over the line, then don't go when the lights are green.
Ans why do a majority of people stop over the line? It's annoying when you are crossing the road and you have to walk around them. Even worse with a kids pushchair or someone in a wheelchair. How hard is it to stop before the line?
I think a lot of it's down to the huge length time the lights are on red. Because no one can be trusted to safely do a left or right turn by themselves, every direction has to be controlled by traffic lights, which means that you have to wait a long time. This also encourages people to go through on red.
What really gets me is when you are crossing at the lights (green man) yet there are still cars turning left coming behind you ffs.
Especially the ones that keep edging forward over the line, then don't go when the lights are green.
Or the ones that stop very short of the line and then proceed to creep forward, so annoying.
Or the ones in front of you that stop 3 car lengths behind the car in front of them, then proceed to inch forward and you have to do it too otherwise other drivers would thing you're the crap driver that left a massive gap between you and the car in front.
The best are the ones that inch back and forward at the lights because they want to get in front of you, but then don't know how to read the lights and when its our turn they take ages to take off. By that time they are a dot in my rearview.
or those that leave a car length before the line, they're not actually on the sensor to trigger the light timer. In some places the light will take forever to change, or never will, until a car in another lane or a pedestrian pushes a button.
Because they have triple plate clutch and don't want to ride it at the light.
They are absolute morons. They are one of the top causes of traffic congestion.
Why do they do that? Lack of attention. Lack of confidence. Fear of hitting the car in front of them. At times I have seen them maintaining distance of more then 50 meters!!
This has become so much more an issue since mobile phones. Also less cars getting through each light sequence as 1 driver is distracted by their phone.
This frustrates me no end. So often I see the first person move off at a green arrow and the second car is snoozing and by the time that second car has started to move the first car has already cleared the entire intersection. Instead of everyone getting through on the green only half make it because 1 or 2 people have snoozed off.
They are on their phone.
DISTRACTIONS
I hate it when the third car honks and the second car gets the middle finger from the first car.
Closest one behind the obstruction should identify and honk first - if the task is left to the one behind them, assume it applies to both at that point for not paying attention and not helping to clear it respectively
It's a domino effect… the first car takes so many seconds, then the other, and so on. Car number 3 has no chance in making it through.
I get equally offended by drivers that do react quickly but then proceed to firewall their little i30, pistons ready to burst out of the engine block, up to the next red light before braking hard lest they go sailing through the intersection. I guess I feel sorry for the car more than anything else..
So I was at an intersection today at the front, arrow was green for turn left and red for straight/right
Cars from the left of me were turning right and constantly covered the green light so I couldn't see the arrow, the light on my side was behind the white line so I'd pulled up past the light and couldn't see although i was still behind the line, just poor placement on the light IMO.
Cars behind me could see the light fine, got honked it, saw a break in the traffic and found out the light was green and turned yellow, didn't move.
Also, I could've totally gone right or straight as it wasn't a left turn only lane if I just cancelled the indicator, the cars behind me probably had no idea i couldnt see the light unless I looked through the sunroof
With the popularity in modern cars of Start-Stop engines 6 seconds seems to be the time needed to acknowledge the green, press clutch or brake, engage and accelerate.
In Queensland it is illegal to honk unless a warning is given to avoid an accident. Car in front not moving is not.
How is it in your patch?
Perhaps OP should push for traffic lights to be changed so will go to yellow 2 o 3 seconds before going green.
This is consistent with any "change" in lights (green-red red-green) being announced by a short yellow.
Good luck with getting the modification attended to :-)
That's a poor excuse. Some green lights don't even last 6 seconds.
My previous car had the "green" engine function to turn off at stop when the brake was pressed, then turn on again to get moving.
I worked it out that I could lift the brake just enough to start the engine but still engage the brake, so I was ready to go once the light went green, and off I went as soon as the green light was on.
People need to take responsibility for their driving and learning their vehicle, so they don't become an obstacle or a danger to other drivers.
Also annoys me when cars slow down so they can observe the crash scene. Just go at normal speed dam it
There are often crashes on the western ring road in Melbourne and there would always be a queue on the opposite side of the freeway due to people slowing to watch. Bloody annoying and sometimes that then causes a crash.
Sometimes I just zone out cause I've been waiting for too long and I'm tired from work.
yikes, maybe take public transport?
It's only when I'm stopped and the light cycles are ridic long on the turn I'm on. Not zoning out when I'm in motion haha.
Feel for all the people waiting extra time at the "ridic" long cycles because the person in front can't pay attention to the lights.
driving a manual it takes more time for me to shift gears and accelerate than for auto's so i get beeped at and tailgated
you must take forever to change gears.
My dad takes off in second gear at the lights and I've never heard anyone beep him.
For me to change smoothly it takes a second longer and I'm not big on accelerating super quick for fuel efficiency. Surely 2nd gear would take off slow as to not stall and why
Yes he is very slow. He does it because he can I guess, maybe a bit lazy? Efficiency is all good and all but is it worth the stress of being honked all the time?
@Brick Tamland: i just laugh because im in the left lane they then over take on the right and then I catch up not to long after.
@Brick Tamland: I doubt you know how to drive manual. It takes a bit more time to get the car moving. No need to hush people how to drive their car.
I doubt you know how to drive manual.
Well one of me vehicles is a manual and I manage to get around just fine without being honked at.
No need to hush people how to drive their car.
I am not sure what this even means, I didn't downvote the comment so how can I be trying to hush the comment?
Manuals are slower than autos (which is why most exoticars and drag cars etc are autos of one kind or another) but on the road the difference shouldn't be that different that you're getting honked and tailgated. I have two manuals and never get honked when i drive them.
its an old subaru (2002) so transmission and gears are getting old. I could slam it into gears and be quicker than an auto but I cant imagine the clutch will last long and it wont be comfortable.
To be fair its only been a few times being honked by impatient taxi drivers, but tailgated a lot by me taking an extra 3 seconds to get up to 60
I give them a few seconds as well and only do a polite honk (light tap or light double tap).
…If they are on their phone, I just yell out "Swipe right! I added you!" or "Did you catch that Pokemon?"
Bunch of inconsiderate drivers deserve a honk. Honk needs to be as long as the time they wasted, where 3 or 4 extra cars could’ve gone through especially during peak hours.
Examples of situations where it is an offence to use a vehicle’s horn include:
Honking to get another vehicle to start moving when your vehicle is stationary behind it, again when this is not to warn of an approach or your position
Such crap really. It is a totally legit reason. What are you meant to do, miss a whole set of lights because some dimwit is texting?
For those that say overtake them:
You must not overtake
a vehicle coming to a stop or a vehicle that has stopped at a pedestrian crossing, intersection or railway crossing
across an unbroken (continuous) line, unless the line closest to you is broken
Both of those would apply near the traffic lights I think.
Basically, phone users trump everyone ;)
Surely there'd be a difference between "honking to get someone to move" and "honking to get someone off their phone" though?
Im guessing you live in a very unique area… or when you count… you skip 2-5…
I've never experienced 6 seconds, at most 2-3 secs
Idle Games aren't going to play themselves…
There are those who honk after 1 second when the light turns green. Many drivers are impatient also.
Old cars were great coz yeah, the dash would not light up at night, unless you had headlights on. Intuitive..