There would be a real problem with them around here. A number of the traffic lights are absolutely horrible when it comes to changing. It can be common to sit there for10 minutes, or even forever, at an intersection with no traffic. At times it becomes a standoff with reds in all directions and no cars moving at all.
More than once I’ve tired of it and after making sure no traffic or cops are around have gone ahead and proceeded through the intersection on red.
It would torque me off to get ticketed because of the hokey traffic light system and according to the city traffic engineer, “you can drive all the way across town without stopping. It just doesn’t seem like it”. Apparently this guy never sits foot on a public roadway and based on the snarled traffic I’d say he was wrong.
Look at the red light camera debacle in Lubbock, TX which ended in a dismal failure. It was costing the city money to have those cameras in place and the accident rate at those intersections went up over 50% after the cameras were installed.
Some cities have also been caught playing games with the yellow light timers when they shaved parts of a second off the yellow interval. I don’t remember the stat but it was something like a 40% increase in tickets mailed out when .3 seconds was shaved.
Yep, it’s all about safety. 