Tag Archives: traffic lights

Satnav app adds traffic light countdown

A satellite navigation app that has a countdown to how long a traffic light will change has been recognised as a CES 2020 Innovation Awards honoree.

The Slovakian Sygic navigation app used by more than 200 million drivers globally has a new and free Traffic Lights countdown add-on.

It is only working in the US at the moment with plans to be introduced in Europe in 2020. There is no scheduled release time yet for Australia.

How the countdown worksRed-light traffic light

The Traffic Lights countdown add-on does not trigger a green light.

That’s a particular issue with riders whose motorcycles may not be large enough to be detected by the induction loop cut into the pavement. Click here to read more about triggering green lights.

Instead, the Sygic add-on displays a green or red light countdown timer at each traffic light.

They claim it will encourage motorists to slow down, increasing safety at intersections, reducing CO2 emissions and improve traffic flow.

Sygic CEO Martin Strigac says their artificial intelligence add-on “will have a major impact on safety and the time of arrival”.

“The kit will be continuously upgraded with additional assistance features, including detection of speed-limit signs, lanes, and obstacles on the road, and collision detection,” he says.

“We are also exploring the idea of integrating it with rail-crossing warning systems.”

CommentsTraffic Lights

Two out of every three motorcycle accidents (66.7%) occur at intersections and motorists running red lights is one of the major causes of those crashes.

Anything that can reduce that would be welcome.

However, we are unsure if a countdown feature for a green light to turn red might actually encourage motorists to speed up to catch the light.

Also, a countdown to a red light turning green might encourage motorists to jump the lights.

We are also concerned that drivers who already don’t look for motorcyclists might be more intent on watching their satnav traffic light countdown feature than scanning the road for riders.

Technology is great when it is proven to increase safety, but the jury is still out on this, as far as we are concerned.

Meanwhile, the CES 2020 Innovation jury of 82 technology experts says the Sygic GPS Navigation’s Traffic Lights add-on “showcased innovative features that scored highly across the evaluation criteria and joins a special group of other products given this honour.” 

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Mythbusting: Green Light Trigger

We recently received a Green Light Trigger unit which is basically two powerful magnets that attach to the underside of your motorcycle and promise to trigger a green light.

Read on and find out if the Green Light Trigger actually works!

Why lights won’t change

Most riders have experienced the frustration of a traffic light that won’t budge off red because it cannot detect their motorcycle which is smaller than a car.

We contacted several state transport departments for their technical advice.

They say these lights are controlled by an inductor loop cut into the pavement.

It creates an electro-magnetic field and detects ferromagnetic metals such as iron, cobalt, nickel, steel and manganese.

Some people erroneously believe these rectangles are actually scales that detract the weight of vehicles and therefore don’t pick up light motorcycles!

For the best possible detection of the metal in your motorcycle, you should position your bike longitudinally right above one of the cut lines.

GReen LIght Trigger traffic lights detect
Stop over that centre longitudinal cut line

If there are two rectangles cut into the pavement, line up over the centre line for the best effect.

Be aware that lining up over a side cut line next to a running lane exposes you to the danger of being rear-ended by an errant driver straying out of their lane.

It has also been suggested that if you deploy your side stand directly over a cut line it will help trigger the lights.

We tried it and it doesn’t seem to work, but it may depend on the metal composition of your sidestand. Some modern motorcycles have non-ferromagnetic alloy sidestands to save weight.

Sensitive issue

The transport departments tell us the the sensitivity of the loops is set to detect all vehicles.

However, sensitivity is a delicate balancing act: too low and it won’t pick up a motorcycle or bicycle; too high and it will pick up false readings for cars in adjacent lanes.

If you believe the sensitivity is set too low at a set of lights, you can contact the relevant department in your state or local council area and ask for it to be increased.

Green Light Trigger

But what about this $US30 Green Light Trigger which is basically two powerful neodymium or rare-earth magnets?

The science suggests they could work because the inductor loop creates a magnetic effect which should detect other magnets: either attracting or repelling.

I tried it out on my Triumph Street Scrambler and a Kawasaki Versys 1000 test bike which do not trigger a set of lights near my home in western Brisbane.

The Green Light Trigger made no difference.

Believing the sensitivity is just too low, I tried another set of lights where my bike does trigger green.

GReen LIght Trigger traffic lights detect
Green Light Trigger can be attached by the magnet or a cable tie

Instead of using my motorcycle which I know is detected, I placed two of the Green Light Trigger magnets directly on the cut lines. They failed to trigger the lights.

I gave the device to a friend who has complained about lights near his house which don’t detect his bike and he says it worked.

However, RACQ technical officer Steve Spalding is sceptical, believing that the lights may simply have changed as part of the scheduled traffic pattern.

Traffic phasesred light cameras trigger

RACQ Principal Traffic and Safety Engineer Gregory Miszkowycz says if your motorcycle is detected, it won’t necessarily speed up the light change process.

“It just registers a demand for that movement in the traffic controller,” he says.

“If all movements at the intersection have a vehicle waiting, the traffic controller will move through its usual pattern or phases of traffic movements at the intersection.

“There may be three to four movement phases at a typical intersection as all the different movements receive their turn before it returns to the first phase again, which is one complete cycle, usually 60-100 seconds in total. 

“Some intersections at certain times of the day will ‘skip’ certain phases where there are no waiting vehicles. This improves the efficiency of the intersection and reduces delays for motorists by not wasting green time.

“In essence, this speeds up the light change, but only because the traffic controller has skipped other unnecessary phases. 

“There are other intricacies of vehicle detection, like terminating a right turn movement as soon as the queue has gone. It is all to squeeze the most out of the intersections and minimise lost time.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Call for traffic light activation buttons

Riders whose bikes won’t trigger a change in a traffic light to green would welcome more of these activation buttons that have been installed at some intersections for cyclists.

It seems cyclists get everything they want from governments. Even their own roads!

In this case, their strong lobbying for these buttons may also help motorcyclists.

They are located on poles close to the road so riders can push them and trigger a change in the traffic lights.

These have been installed because many modern bicycles are made of carbon fibre which will not trigger traffic light sensors.

There are varying types of sensors used around the world but the most common is called an inductor loop. It consists of a wire loop placed in the asphalt leaving a telltale rectangular cutting in the road surface to detect the metal in the engine block.

Traffic light inductor loop cut lines
Traffic light inductor loop cut lines

However, some are not sensitive enough to pick up small motorcycles. Also, many modern motorcycles have a lot of alloy which reduces their ability to trigger the lights.

Motorcycle Council of NSW chairman Steve Pearce says they have discussed the issue with Roads and Maritime Services.

“So far we have not received a reply except that they are looking into it,” he says.

“Our suggestion was actually a pressure pad at the front of the lane which would be triggered by a motorcycle.

“As the weight of a motorcycle is less than a vehicle, it would need to be a bespoke item.”

Report traffic light problems

RACQ safety and technical manager Steve Spalding says they have also raised the issue of motorcycles not triggering traffic lights with Transport and Main Roads “a couple of times”.

Steve Spalding safety officer RACQ motorcycle awareness month of May traffic light
Steve Spalding and his Bandit

“Their advice is to report the lights to the relevant road authority for attention,” he says.

“They told me they can adjust the sensitivity but if they adjust too much it can then pick up traffic passing in an adjacent lane.”

Rider advice

Steve advises riders to correctly position their motorcycle over the cut lines in the road where the loop sensors are placed.

“Don’t stop in between them,” he says.

“You can also try moving forward to allow a car to position over them if they won’t trigger.

“From a safety perspective I’d suggest a rider not stop over the cut line closest to the adjacent through-lane but position themselves over one of the other lines (there are usually three running parallel to the lane).

“This gives them a bit more of a safe space if a passing car runs too close, or drifts into, the turning lane where they are sitting waiting for a turn light.”

Turn on redRed-light traffic light

Several American states allow riders to proceed through a red light that has not triggered so long as they have stopped first.

There are also places where all motorists are allowed to turn left (or right in countries where they drive on the right) on a red signal.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com