The Broken Traffic Light of the Heapers' Hangout

Princess Alice

Now, we all know the law here. Treat this intersection as a four-way stop.

(beat)

HAHAHAHA you almost bought that for a second

*blows on through intersection, is honked at by next poster*

Tre

hOnK hOnK

:O)

Imipolex G

Today I saw not one but two car accidents. Well, the aftermath of them...

Seriously people, pay attention to the road!

[Deleted User]

*directs traffic*

Princess Alice

I saw a car accident happen in front of me the other day.

It was interesting, because I've seen the aftermaths of lots of accidents but this is was the first time I'd seen one happen that I wasn't involved in.

(I posted the details in the megathread)

Tre

I've seen lots of aftermaths too, and I've only seen one happen one time, mostly because I was in it.

T'was not a fun experience, getting smothered by an airbag.

Imipolex G

I once saw one car rear-end another at a fairly high speed. The back end crumpled up like tinfoil.

Füschlatz

I've only ever seen one car-crash actually happen.

Actually, I don't think I can even say I "saw" it. I wasn't exactly looking at the car that was involved, otherwise the event wouldn't have happened at all...

PlutoniumFist

Only car accident I've been in was the time an old lady rammed my family's truck. Sent us into a van and almost started a pile-up. No one was really hurt, thankfully. They thought it was a hit-and-run because said lady wasn't wearing her seat belt and ended up sitting in the passenger's seat. Made the front page of the local newspaper.

Princess Alice

To date I've been involved in three car crashes: twice getting rear-ended at a red light (I wasn't even the one driving) and once when I failed to stop properly before a left turn in a parking lot and I hit someone else who had the right-of-way.

As for the one I saw happen, I'll just copy-paste my post from the other day:

So the family was driving around earlier. We got to a stoplight, and there was a gold car stuck in the intersection waiting to turn left. The driver of the gold car makes his turn...and ends up hitting a silver car coming the other direction. The silver car stops, but the driver of the gold car flips a U-turn and speeds away.

Everyone around is sort of in shock, so my dad (who's driving) flips a U-turn and goes after the gold car to try and get his plate number...only to find that the gold car had run into a telephone pole less than a block away, in front of a fire station. A woman hops out of the car and frantically starts screaming "MY DAUGHTER'S IN LABOR! MY DAUGHTER'S IN LABOR!" As everyone else piles out of the gold car, the panicking woman goes and beats on the door of the fire station, while the driver goes back to check on the people in the car he'd just hit.

At this point the firefighters started coming out of the station, and they seemed to have things under control, so we turned back around and left. But still...it was crazy.

Anonus

Oh jeez. I'm glad you're okay.

Both of you.

Ace Rimmer

Oh shit its a 4 way stop.

Noes! :(

Justice4243

I had to explain how these work to my British friend that came over to visit my wife and I.

His life in the states improved immensely after that.

Ace Rimmer

I know how they work in theory, the car that has priority is the one that got there first but still...

glennmagusharvey

Well, it's pretty intuitive.  Vehicles take turns in the order they got to the white barrier line of the intersection.

And if they're not sure, the driver who's in more of a hurry goes first starts moving first and ideally is careful enough to be observant of the other car and make sure that if that other car also starts (or keeps) moving he/she will stop his/her car in time to prevent an accident.

Justice4243

Yes, if more then one care got there, the rightmost car goes.

If a whole bunch of people are there and no one knows what to do, it helps to wave the car to your right to go, then you'll be next...or just gun it yourself if everyone else is just stuck being slack-jawed and confused.

Ace Rimmer

Its still pretty baffling though

Princess Alice

Four-way stops are okay when they're on barely-traveled residential streets or rural roads. Anything beyond that...yeah, it becomes dangerous and inefficient because you have a bunch of impatient drivers queing up in all directions.

The law, in most states, says that a traffic light that's not functioning for whatever reason (usually power failure) is to be treated as a four-way stop, but in practice usually the minor street stops while the major street just runs on through. If you have an intersection of two major streets and light is broken...that's bad. You need to get a cop out there.

Out of curiosity, what's the law in the UK for dealing with broken traffic lights?

glennmagusharvey

They use roundabouts.  Roundabouts don't have traffic lights.

Ace Rimmer

Out of curiosity, what's the law in the UK for dealing with broken traffic lights?

I think the law with a non-functioning traffic light is to treat it as a junction or a roundabout, ie you give way to the car coming from the right.

^
I assure you, we use both.

glennmagusharvey

True, you use both, but in rural/suburban areas, roundabouts were like, 90% or more of intersections.  At least, that's the feeling I got when I visited the UK about fifteen years ago.  I think it was only when we visited London did I see traffic lights.  IIRC I stayed with relatives of relatives in Braintree for most of the time I was there.

Ace Rimmer

Intersections?

lee4hmz

Junctions, places where two roads meet.

Also, where I work (Arlington, VA), there are quite a few roundabouts in the residential areas. The idea is to calm traffic flow, but it also makes it so that fewer stop signs are needed. I think.

glennmagusharvey

Near where I live (the suburbs surrounding Hartford, CT), what used to be a five-way stop was recently replaced with a roundabout.

glennmagusharvey

I always like how roundabouts let you keep momentum and save gas, but
I've always also wondered what if traffic's crazy heavy and people don't
stop for you at a roundabout.

Since you work in Arlington, VA, the traffic has got to be crazy there.  How do people deal with roundabouts and yielding right-of-way during rush hour there?

Ace Rimmer

Then I wish most junctions were roundabouts because on one road where I live, there are 7 traffic lights on a 4 mile stretch of straight road and 4 sets of lights on another road that is a half a mile long.

glennmagusharvey

I would ask you where you live, but unfortunately I don't know England geography.

Justice4243

He lives 15 miles away from a town with sheep.

Ace Rimmer

She lives 25 miles away from a town with sheep.

Fixed that for ya

Justice4243

WELL THEN YOU LIED TO ME!

Or the Sheep moved 10 miles. 

Ace Rimmer

Tbh, I wasn't sure of the distance.

Justice4243

Or maybe you where trying to throw me off the trail of my brutal sheep murder and stalking campaign.

I'M ON TO YOU!

glennmagusharvey

OWWW SHEEP YOU LIED

Justice4243

Teen Girl Squad production values have improved.