New traffic light information system

[Por_sha911]

Will it really help and is it worth $499 per 18 months?
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/2019-audi-q8-test-drive-the-luxury-car-that-can-beat-red-lights

First, when you’re stopped at a red light, the car displays a countdown to when it will turn green, which takes away the sometimes frustrating uncertainty and allows you to make better use of your time than staring at the light in anticipation. The timer turns off when there are four seconds left to encourage you to reengage with the road ahead as the light goes green, so you don’t run into anything when you do.

I changed my mind on this - see post #10

Then, when you’re on the move and approaching a light that’s about to turn red, TLI calculates the exact speed you should be driving to make it ... without breaking the law. If it doesn’t think you can get through safely, it warns you to start slowing down so you can stop in time, instead.

It takes some of the fun out of trying to time the lights yourself and cruise on through without getting held up, but can be more effective since it’s getting tipped-off. Along with reducing travel time, Audi says less stop and go driving should save some fuel, but you do need to pay for an Audi Connect Prime telematics system for it to work, which costs $499 for 18 months after a six-month free trial and comes with a suite of connected services.

Seems like a cool thing to talk about at parties but prolly not much help in the real world.

[oldE]

I can see some benefit for people who have little time/space awareness. The things many of us do to be more engaged in the driving experience are in another dimension for them.

Unfortunately, I also suspect it will enable more entitled, zoned out in their mobile devices people to get themselves deeper into dangerous situations before the fecal matter hits the fan.

Best
Les

[stealthn]

You know the next logical step will be auto braking to prevent you from running a yellow...

[GH85Carrera]

I have driven many uncounted miles in my lifetime. Since getting my license back in the early 70s, I have once wanted a computer to tell me how to drive. I do have computer controlled fuel injection, as that makes the engine run better than carburetors by a wide margin. And the cruise control module is computer controlled to avoid a lot of wires and relays and save weight and make a smooth running system.

The rest of the task is the contol of the car, and I prefer to take care of that myself. ABS would be nice, but pretty much not a retrofit thing. I love the computing power of my cell phone, but I sure don't want it in control of my car. And the day iTunes takes over control of a car, I will find car from the 1970s or before that is 100% manual.

[Mike Billings]

Oh great. Now everyone will know what the light is going to do so they can slow down and make the light perfectly and screw everyone else behind them. I predict some trouble coming with that.

It's better the way it is now where only the people paying attention and actually looking at their speedometer know when the light is going to change. I usually speed up and let a couple behind me get through.

[legion]

I feel like the more systems like this a car has, the less drivers pay attention to what is going on around them as they expect the car to take car of things for them. Look at what people do with autopilot in Teslas.

Heck, I've got a coworker who drives in from a town over, and watches Netflix when she drives. When I used to commute down I-85 in Atlanta to work, I could see the dull glow of all of the cell phones in front of the drivers around me.

[Jeff Higgins]

Virtually all of the traffic lights in my area run on a system that trips them when vehicles arrive, either a wire under the pavement or a camera up above. They are set to delay for different amounts of time over the course of the day to try to help with rush hour traffic vs. mid day traffic. They even stay green for varying lengths of time depending upon time of day. This is all set within, and controlled by, that big gray electrical box by the side of the intersection. A pretty rude and crude device by today's standards. It does not broadcast its settings in any way. As such, I cannot see how this new whiz-bang device would work with these kinds of traffic lights.

[1990C4S]

First, when you’re stopped at a red light, the car displays a countdown to when it will turn green,

This is a standard feature in China...common sense. As is the 'amber before going green' as a signal to be ready to go...

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by stealthn

You know the next logical step will be auto braking to prevent you from running a yellow...

What's wrong with running a yellow?

The thing I don't like about the traffic light prediction device is that it will encourage full speed travel through a light about to change or changing. I don't have the statistics but it seems to me that more intersection accidents happen at those times.

Rather than speeding up toward any intersection, I begin to ease up and look left and right as I get there hoping to avoid someone timing lights and missing the mark and possibly t-boning me. Or some airhead staring at their dash display.

Speaking of displays, I rode in a Tesla Model 3 the other day and the display in the center of the dash was as big as my laptop. Being interactive and in the center seems like a huge distraction to me. I'm afraid of these cars and their drivers.

I'll keep slowing down for intersections.

[Por_sha911]

Several of the comments above have got me wondering if this new tech is such a great idea. As stated, it can become a govt controlled nanny.
Also, now that I think about it the countdown until green could be really bad since we have idiots who would treat this like a drag strip christmas tree and jackrabbit start the green while, another jerk is trying to beat out the yellow and blows through a red (I see that one on a regular basis and cringe at how late they are going through the red way over the speed limit). A recipe for major disaster on a more frequent basis.

[pwd72s]

No electronics needed. Who doesn't watch the cross street lights, waiting for them to turn yellow? That's when I put the clutch in and shift to first gear. I'm usually in neutral at red lights. When it turns green, I'll pause a bit to be sure nobody is running a red. Hopefully not so long a horn doesn't sound behind me.

It used to be called defensive driving...

[bleucamaro]

Driving has become too dumbed down where you don't need to pay attention, so people don't.

It's one of my biggest reasons for owning and driving a manual transmission car, it forces me to pay more attention and be more aware of my surroundings.

This tech is unnecessary.

(counterpoint: I really like the stop lights in Germany where: green=go, yellow=prepare for red, red=stop, red+yellow=get ready to go.)

[Jims5543]

I drive on surface roads all over town for a living every day.

I have been saying for a long time we need some sort of system that warns drivers the light is about to turn green and get your damn face out of your phone.

We sit still so much longer because people are not looking up at red lights.


When I was in Ireland, I thought the lights were awesome, they went from Green to yellow to Red then yellow again then Green.

On yellow everyone was already starting to move, by green everyone was rolling 2-3-4 cars back. It was glorious.

I wish there was a device you could put in your car that would warn you the light is about to go green. Maybe I wouldn't sit through 2nd and 3rd lights as only 10 cars get through each rotation due to sleepers.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

First, when you’re stopped at a red light, the car displays a countdown to when it will turn green,

This is a standard feature in China...common sense. As is the 'amber before going green' as a signal to be ready to go...

Sweet!!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

No electronics needed. Who doesn't watch the cross street lights, waiting for them to turn yellow? That's when I put the clutch in and shift to first gear. I'm usually in neutral at red lights. When it turns green, I'll pause a bit to be sure nobody is running a red. Hopefully not so long a horn doesn't sound behind me.

It used to be called defensive driving...

Exactly, I either watch the light for the cross street or when there's a crosswalk, that's often easier to see since many/most lights these days have some sort of shroud which makes them tough to see at an angle.

But I can tell you that based on my observations, you and I must be in the minority. I see people all of the time that start the inch forward as if they think the light is about to turn when it's no where near turning.

[GH85Carrera]

I was behind some moron just the other day that was actually paying attention, but driving some enormous SUV. He must have been hyper-milling or thought the ice storm hit on a 80 degree day. The traffic in the other lane had three cars all they way through the intersection, and the 4th beat us through the intersection and we were going straight. He just accelerated so slow only three cars got through in our lane. I am sure the moron was 100% oblivious to the rest of the traffic.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by tcar

In Denver there is an actual countdown on the crosswalk signal itself., plus the yellow.

So not needed.

Some here change at zero and some don't for another 15 seconds which is an eternity sitting at a stop light.

Some cops around here expect a driver to come to a stop at a stop sign, not a light, and stay motionless for 2 seconds. Given all the rollers here, that is another 'eternity'. They do that because if you come to a complete, no wheels motion stop, and then immediately go, one could argue whether it was a complete stop or not. Hence the delay to make sure. Me, if there is a cop sitting in the shadows, I try and make eye contact while stopped.

I know that isn't germane to the technology but that technology is ripe for disputes over whether a driver made it into the intersection, past the 2nd crosswalk line, before the red came on. Why even cut it close? Whenever I do, I think afterwards it would have been easier to stop. I don't really give a rat's ass about if the guy behind me didn't get to go through.

It's my call.

Furthermore, if a camera is operating, of any kind, that records an accident in an intersection, at the point of contact the light is one color or another. Doesn't matter if it was yellow when you cross the line into the intersection. If the light is red against you when the hit occurs, you are going down as at fault whether you made it in on the yellow or not. Why the other driver was in the intersection before his green won't matter. The investigators are not going to focus on how he managed to jump the light if it's green for him when you hit.

Just take it easy. Up in Los Angeles it is common for 3-4 cars to keep proceeding to make turns well after the light has changed against them. It's ridiculous. I've been sitting at a green for 5 or more seconds waiting for this to clear up. On a 30 second light that is a good percentage.

Rant over.

[rcooled]

"...allows you to make better use of your time than staring at the light in anticipation."

'Better use of your time', my ass! All it'll do is encourage more people to stare at their phones every time they stop at a red light. What 'better use' of your time is there while driving than to pay constant attention to everything going on around you?

[GH85Carrera]

The biggest thing the drivers need is to put down their dang phone, and DRIVE the car.

One of my friends was a lifetime smoker. He said he was convinced that his car would not start if he did not have a cigarette before he tried to start the car. That was the point that was hardest for him to give up. He has been smoke free for several years.

Now I really think most people with a car believe their car will not run if they don't call someone, text and catch up on social media as they attempt to drive a two ton vehicle. I can't call those people "drivers" as they are only operators with very poor car control.

[pete3799]

Originally Posted by rcooled

"...allows you to make better use of your time than staring at the light in anticipation."

'Better use of your time', my ass! All it'll do is encourage more people to stare at their phones every time they stop at a red light. What 'better use' of your time is there while driving than to pay constant attention to everything going on around you?

This.

We only have 1 traffic light in all of Orange County VT. so not needed here.