Petition to Change Right-turn Signalling at Crossings

[OmOm]

Dear all,

 

In view of the increasing number of accidents at traffic-light junctions where vehicles have hit and killed crossing pedestrians, I will be writing to LTA to propose changing the right-turn signalling sequence at all traffic-light junctions with pedestrian crossings.

 

Presently many traffic-light right-turn signalling works by allowing the pedestrians to cross the roads simultaneously as vehicles turn right across their paths. This method theoretically reduces the overall waiting time for everyone in the system because it allows right-turning motorists to utilise pockets of time to go-ahead whenever there are no crossing pedestrians.

 

However, due to fatigue, carelessness, blind-spots and other reasons, there have been many instances of pedestrians getting run over by right-turning vehicles. Many of such accidents involve larger vehicles which, due to their size and larger blind-spots, are harder to control.

 

I would like to propose that the right-turning signalling be changed at such junctions so that right-turning vehicles cannot proceed to do so until the traffic lights have turned red for the crossing pedestrians. While this cannot totally eradicate similar accidents that arise due to jay-walking pedestrians, it will likely reduce the overall accident rates given that most pedestrians do obey the traffic crossing signals.

 

Through this petition I hope LTA will treat this issue with greater urgency and have it implemented sooner than later before more innocent lives are lost.

 

If you support this initiative, please indicate your user name below and I will update this first post:

 

a. OmOm

b.

 

I will send out the petition to LTA once we achieve at least 50 (do suggest if you think this number could be smaller or larger) on this list.

 

Thanks to all for your help!

Edited April 23, 2013 by OmOm

[Gnahp]

LTA got to answer to those families who lost their loved ones in such accident, if they admit the current system is a less safer one.

 

Die die will defend to the end.

 

[Simplecar]

good thoughts. the purpose is to segregate human-vehicle interactions.

 

I am not sure whether this makes sense. Upzz for you, TS.

[Maxus-MIFA9]

Nice of you to write all this but I have a few questions to ask?

 

1. Certain traffic junctions where there are no predestrains, the 'Red & Green' man still activated, so one have to wait at an empty junction for the 'Right-turn signal' ...

 

2. With the implementation, vehicles waiting at the junction will have longer waiting time for those vehicles turning right even there is no predestrain.....

 

3. How many seconds will LTA allow for right-turn vehicles?

 

4. Will it be able to clear those vehicles waiting to turn right? (example Toa Payoh Lor 1 junction Toa Payoh Lor 2 and Lor 6 junction Lor 1, vehicles turning to Braddell Road, very heavy traffic)

 

Most major main junctions in SG have already 'Red' turning arrow. Its only those at housing estates junctions where only few "Red' turning arrow and most accidents happen in housing estates.

 

Its takes two hands to clap. Drivers responsibilities to ensure you're safe before making the turn and also predestrains responsibilities for their own safety by not crossing when 'Green' man blinking. It only takes one driver or predestrain who want to chiong across thats accident happen.

 

One good example is Orchard Road junction Scott's Road junction Patterson Road. Being working there for years, very rarely see an accidents happen at the crossing. Vehicles turning to Patterson Road will sure come across predestrains rushing to cross it when 'Red' man signal is lighted up. It's a daily affair but why drivers turning right practice patience waiting for the predestrains to finish their crossing at this junction and not at housing estates junctions ?

 

Some would like your ideal but some will not cos, longer waiting time at the junction even no predestrains making the crossing.

 

Edited April 24, 2013 by Picnic06

[Jman888]

how about left turning? the fatal accident yesterday at Clementi could happen at any junction.

[Yahgo22]

 

 

 

lta should built over head bridge in crossings that are accident prone

 

after all lta is so rich with all the ERP and COE revenue

[2BDriver]

Dear all,

 

In view of the increasing number of accidents at traffic-light junctions where vehicles have hit and killed crossing pedestrians, I will be writing to LTA to propose changing the right-turn signalling sequence at all traffic-light junctions with pedestrian crossings.

 

Presently many traffic-light right-turn signalling works by allowing the pedestrians to cross the roads simultaneously as vehicles turn right across their paths. This method theoretically reduces the overall waiting time for everyone in the system because it allows right-turning motorists to utilise pockets of time to go-ahead whenever there are no crossing pedestrians.

 

However, due to fatigue, carelessness, blind-spots and other reasons, there have been many instances of pedestrians getting run over by right-turning vehicles. Many of such accidents involve larger vehicles which, due to their size and larger blind-spots, are harder to control.

 

I would like to propose that the right-turning signalling be changed at such junctions so that right-turning vehicles cannot proceed to do so until the traffic lights have turned red for the crossing pedestrians. While this cannot totally eradicate similar accidents that arise due to jay-walking pedestrians, it will likely reduce the overall accident rates given that most pedestrians do obey the traffic crossing signals.

 

Through this petition I hope LTA will treat this issue with greater urgency and have it implemented sooner than later before more innocent lives are lost.

 

If you support this initiative, please indicate your user name below and I will update this first post:

 

a. OmOm

b. fongmy

 

I will send out the petition to LTA once we achieve at least 50 (do suggest if you think this number could be smaller or larger) on this list.

 

Thanks to all for your help!

 

This post has been edited by OmOm: Today, 07:30 AM

 

 

 

[Kangadrool]

Should post a traffic warden with lollipop and whistle at every junction to reduce accidents.

 

 

[Ender]

I think that means the red arrow is on while it's green for traffic going straight. Good recommendation, but not on all junctions. Only those with high human traffic.

[Jman888]

1. OmOm

2. fongmy

3. jman888

 

[Kangadrool]

I think that means the red arrow is on while it's green for traffic going straight. Good recommendation, but not on all junctions. Only those with high human traffic.

 

It's actually been deployed in various heavy junctions and school zone areas.

 

Examples, Jalan Bahar and Boon Lay cross junction, cross junction at Pioneer and Frontier Primary School.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Kangadrool

[Wormvirus]

the traffic basically wants car & people go against each other

[Jman888]

It's actually been deployed in various heavy junctions and school zone areas.

 

Examples, Jalan Bahar and Boon Lay cross junction, cross junction at Pioneer and Frontier Primary School.

 

 

actually have come across more and more junction having this system.

[Nicholas]

I think that means the red arrow is on while it's green for traffic going straight. Good recommendation, but not on all junctions. Only those with high human traffic.

 

I want that, had the same idea in another thread where I mentioned Malaysia's traffic lights being safer.

A lot of junctions you can't really see if cars are coming (either cause blocked by oncoming turning cars or fences etc), then when cars behind can see no cars coming honk honk honk. Damn stressful.

 

1. OmOm

2. fongmy

3. jman888

4. Nicholas

 

[Vhtfhwlego]

However, due to fatigue, carelessness, blind-spots and other reasons, there have been many instances of pedestrians getting run over by right-turning vehicles. Many of such accidents involve larger vehicles which, due to their size and larger blind-spots, are harder to control.

One of the main reason, people take things for granted pedestrians not checking whether it is safe to cross.

The petition should be getting pedestrains to check for oncoming traffic regardless of right of way.

 

 

[Rongshu]

I would propose another alternative.

 

For the 4 way junctions, only allow 1 way traffic to proceed, ie. giving both green light and green right arrow for 1 way at one time. Pedestrains who walk in the same direction will be also be given green light. There will be no worry for turning vehicles.

 

I have seen many junctions in Malaysia has this signalling method.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Rongshu

[Watwheels]

From what I see if a junctions lights pattern have been changed some drivers who use it frequently wil get confused. Imo it takes both hands to clap. Pedestrian & drivers are all humans, they get fatigued too. Both have the equal responsibility on safety. Precautions should not be one-sided.

[OmOm]

Hi bro,

 

1. Certain traffic junctions where there are no predestrains, the 'Red & Green' man still activated, so one have to wait at an empty junction for the 'Right-turn signal' ...

 

If I am not wrong, there are push buttons at many traffic light crossings nowadays. When there are no pedestrians or if no one presses the buttons, the pedestrian crossing lights do not change for them. There were a couple of occasions in which I had forgotten to press the button and the traffic signalling skipped my turn.

 

With these buttons, the chances of unnecessary waiting on the part of right-turning motorists when there are no pedestrians at the crossing would be reduced significantly.

 

2. With the implementation, vehicles waiting at the junction will have longer waiting time for those vehicles turning right even there is no predestrain.....

 

As with point 1, the concurrent implementation of push buttons would reduce this waiting time.

 

3. How many seconds will LTA allow for right-turn vehicles?

 

The same parameters that determine the waiting time for right-turns at traffic junctions that already have red and green turning arrows should still apply.

 

4. Will it be able to clear those vehicles waiting to turn right? (example Toa Payoh Lor 1 junction Toa Payoh Lor 2 and Lor 6 junction Lor 1, vehicles turning to Braddell Road, very heavy traffic)

 

This depends on the specific junction; for example, at extremely heavy traffic junctions, or during peak hours, the signalling could be adjusted so that the pedestrian crossing is skipped once for every round of signalling. In extreme cases, perhaps even skipping the pedestrian crossing twice or thrice for each round of signalling. These parameters can all be adjusted on a need-to basis.

 

Most major main junctions in SG have already 'Red' turning arrow. Its only those at housing estates junctions where only few "Red' turning arrow and most accidents happen in housing estates.

 

Its takes two hands to clap. Drivers responsibilities to ensure you're safe before making the turn and also predestrains responsibilities for their own safety by not crossing when 'Green' man blinking. It only takes one driver or predestrain who want to chiong across thats accident happen.

 

One good example is Orchard Road junction Scott's Road junction Patterson Road. Being working there for years, very rarely see an accidents happen at the crossing. Vehicles turning to Patterson Road will sure come across predestrains rushing to cross it when 'Red' man signal is lighted up. It's a daily affair but why drivers turning right practice patience waiting for the predestrains to finish their crossing at this junction and not at housing estates junctions ?

 

Some would like your ideal but some will not cos, longer waiting time at the junction even no predestrains making the crossing.

 

I agree with you that it takes two hands to clap. In the ideal world, everything would flow nicely and no one needs to die unnecessarily. However, in the less than ideal world, we recognise that not everyone, pedestrian and motorist alike, is fully aware of his or her own surroundings. A moment of carelessness is all it takes for a precious life to be lost.

 

If changes in the mechanisms that regulate society can result in fewer lives lost unnecessarily, I do not see why society at large cannot embrace such adjustments.

 

The loss of one single life usually means the loss of a son or daughter, a mother or father, a grand-mother or grand-father or even a combination of all these.

 

I believe just one life saved from such an implementation would already justify society bending backwards out of compassion and/or empathy.

 

Just my two cents on this.

 

Thanks.