traffic lights

[alan07]

i ran a red light the other day, are the little black boxes on top of the traffic lights cameras?

[woodchopper]

No. - they are sensors for determining the traffic flow.

[woodchopper]

OOps - just found this - if it looked like this one u've had it.

[alan07]

phew, thats good

[alan07]

what do you mean? looks like what?

[zipadeedodah]

As far as I am aware, the smallish balc "camera" looking things actually on top of the lights themselves are just sensors, as woodchopper said. Red light cameras are positioned a little way before the traffic lights, facing the lights. Around this way, they are free standing, and look like a slightly smaller version of normal speed cameras.

[zipadeedodah]

balc should have read "black"

[Grunty]

As zip says, the camera would have wanted to get the red light and you in the same picture, so the one you saw was probably a sensor.

[alan07]

ok cheers that has cleared it up for me. thanks again!

[alan07]

to zipadeedoodah - by the way there was no red light cameras standing behind the lights, just the little black boxes on top.

[woodchopper]

My apologies - forgot to paste the link

http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/traffic-light-ca mera.htm

[alan07]

there aint one of those around the lights, just one of those little black things on top.

[gary baldy]

One of the best kept secrets in this country are the little black boxes on the top of some traffic lights.
These are actually light sensors and give the emergency services the ability to change the lights in their favour.
How do they do this?
By flashing their lights at it!
Simple as that. Try it one night - i find it works better at night.
Why more people dont know about this i dont know but thats what they are for.

[mycats]

gary baldy, that doesnt actually work lol trust me, we have been trying it for years

[gary baldy]

You must be doing it wrong mycats! :)

[mycats]

lol well thats entirely possible Gary lol

[aviator]

The Traffic lights work by the sensors that are under the road, next time you drive to lights notice the 3 boxes you will go over which u can clearly see due to the marks on the road (not paint marks, more like tar marks)
The flashing lights trick is rubbish.....
unless they are temp lights put up by maintenance, some of which are on timers but the others on light sensors!