It would seem that most of them got bored with it and are now going for the red. Five seconds plus seems to be the target.
No consideration for those in the right turn box who have expected them to stop and then are sat there in the way of crossing traffic!
I regularly go over a hump back bridge at the canal.
No visibility to the other side and a lady was killed there in a head on smash that apparently was her fault.
After that they made the red lights have something like a seven second delay and plus the stop line is well back from the bridge.
My habit is to stay back from the stop line and to allow a couple of extra seconds on the green before moving off.
I can tell you that had I not done that I probably wouldn't be here to talk about it.
So imagine this. I have the green light and a builders truck was almost airborne as it came into view. The cement mixer, and they in the cab, were up in the air and they were grinning ear to ear and I don't know how they missed me.
Had I moved off just a second earlier I would have been a gonner!
this is illustrated no better than on merseyside. in liverpool, the lights pause for an age between one going red and the next to green because they know full well people jump the lights very badly! in fact, if you're approaching a red light in liverpool, its very tempting to jump it as you know full well its going to be about a week before the next lights change. however, go through the tunnel to wirral and try that and you're likely to die! people in wirral are far more prim and proper and don't do vulgur things like jump red lights (or so they have you believe), so they change almost instantly.
this is illustrated no better than on merseyside. in liverpool, the lights pause for an age between one going red and the next to green because they know full well people jump the lights very badly! in fact, if you're approaching a red light in liver
On a related point, whatever happenned to Reginald Molehusband? It beggars belief that there is not a copy of his public information film somewhere! . http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4700772.stm
Each weekday in February, the Magazine is featuring a classic public information film from the past 60 years, concluding with a vote to find the nation's favourite.
Today's public information film has gone missing.
A classic of its genre, and quoted even today by people who fondly remember it, it featured a character called Reginald Molehusband.
He was a driver in an Austin 1100 who could not park his car properly. His name became shorthand for anyone whose driving skills were not up-to-scratch - Jeremy Clarkson is just one of those who has used the jibe, saying of Ralf Schumacher: "He just cruises around at the back, getting in everyone's way until he has a Reginald Molehusband accident."
STOP LOOK LISTEN Stop Look Listen is the Magazine's festival of Public Information Films, with the National Archives and the COI
Web discussion forums often mention Reginald Molehusband. But Reginald himself has gone missing.
The National Archives, the repository for all kinds of fascinating documents and files from the country's history, does not know what happened to the film. Neither does the Central Office of Information, which made the public information films (and whose 60th anniversary this festival is celebrating). A search through the BBC's own archives has also turned up nothing.
A spokesman for the National Archives said: "Anyone who finds a copy of Molehusband would be held aloft and carried through the streets by PIF [public information film] enthusiasts".
Someone somewhere must have a copy. With the promise of national hero status, now is your time to stand up for Reginald. Contact us using the form below, giving us your details, and we'll do the rest.
Meanwhile here is the script, courtesy of an audio file held at TVCream (see internet links).
This is the story of Reginald Molehusband, married, two children, whose reverse parking was a public danger (brakes and gears crunching). People came from miles just to see it. Bets were laid on his performance. What he managed to miss at the back, he was sure to make up for at the front. Bus drivers and taxis changed their routes to avoid him. Until the day that Reginald Molehusband did it right (sound of reversing). Not too close, far enough forward... come on Reginald... and reverse in slowly... come on.... and watching traffic... (applause from watching crowd) and park perfectly! Well done Reginald Molehusband, the safest parker in town.
Just one of the clever aspects of this film is the way that, excuse the pun, it reverses the burden of proving you can park. Lots of people have trouble reverse parking, but by singling out Reginald, it portrays the overwhelming body of society as being people who can park. Reginald, in short, is the freak.
On a related point, whatever happenned to Reginald Molehusband? It beggars belief that there is not a copy of his public information film somewhere!.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4700772.stmEach weekday in February, the Magazine is featuring a