[ritesh_44]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone knows the meaning of blue and white blinking traffic lights


I saw it near electronic city flyover in Bengaluru. I googled but most results are pointing to blue lights beings used as timers to show upcoming change in red light so that people can shut off engine at traffic stops. But these lights are continuously blinking. ( I have a video but don't know how to attach it here)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

On the Hosur - Krishnagiri highway section and several other major highways in TN, these are used more like hazard lights, flashing continuously, to alert road users about accident prone areas.

One article from TN that mentions the same - https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...le65707529.ece

Multi-colour blinker lights come up at select spots in Tiruchi City to curb accidents

But never seen it inside Bangalore city earlier.

[condor]

Have seen these specifically on the E-city to Attibele stretch. One possibility is that these indicate a break in median, and traffic is cutting across the main-road. Reason to say this is that this combination of such lights and break in median were the only "co-incidences" we could notice.

[SideView]

Originally Posted by condor

Have seen these specifically on the E-city to Attibele stretch. One possibility is that these indicate a break in median, and traffic is cutting across the main-road. Reason to say this is that this combination of such lights and break in median were the only "co-incidences" we could notice.

Also in this stretch it highlights that a big bump is coming. (Maybe due to the median break you mentioned)

As people usually go 80+ on this stretch, these sudden bumps without warning could be catastrophic. (Near NH in bommasandra etc)

[ninjatalli]

These are the lights that signal the police presence. I am not aware of the exact reason for putting them up on highways, but they are quite common in and around Chennai (and I believe across TN). I have noticed them on/adjacent to police checkpoints and posts at junctions across the city, also at several junctions/crossing points on many highways. There's one near my home on the top of a police booth; and the lights are on irrespective whether there's a traffic cop sitting in that booth.

I believe it's to apply to the subconscious-ness of the driver; the connect to the police lights might induce less reckless driving and following rules. They might be also used to indicate potential hazard/accident points as discussed above.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by ritesh_44

Does anyone knows the meaning of blue and white blinking traffic lights
Attachment 2343338

Continuously blinking traffic lights, called semaphores, are usually amber in colour (rarely red in some places, where they replace a STOP sign), but this seems to be creativity being taken to the next level! As I said in another thread recently...

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

We create history by creating our own road signs that are neither self-explanatory, nor conforming to the UN Convention.

For a driving population that does not know the conventional signs, any random sign can be passed off as valid, by the super-creative minds of the country's traffic police forces.

[shancz]

Isn't blue and red a standard for police vehicles ?
Asking just out of observation.

Although it doesn't make sense to indicate police presence with permanant lights. Their vehicles can do that easily. The police presence could be due to earlier accidents or pre-emptive.

I would guess its for warning of obstructions like medians etc.
The icon itself is quite weird, IIRC have seen it in tunnels to indicate lane closure(UAE) although that was temporary due to an accident but never in blue/white.

We(DMV/MoRTH/RTO) really need to get their act together and refactor their material, release new "courseware" and then get on a relentless driving education and enforcement campaign across the country.
Or so I dream

[Dry Ice]

If people are left wondering their meaning, pretty sure they aren’t serving their intended purpose!

Maybe the traffic cops are trying to confuse motorists so they slow down, because, clearly the reds or ambers don’t do that job well enough.

[nagaraj15]

These Blue White Flashing signal lights are meant to alert the drivers of median opening, it is highly distracting.

[gischethans]

Bengaluru is getting new things. Recently someone asked about a sign on Twitter -

I too posted a tweet. Let's see if they respond.

[T-Bone]

Originally Posted by ritesh_44

Hi everyone,

Does anyone knows the meaning of blue and white blinking traffic lights
Attachment 2343338

I saw it near electronic city flyover in Bengaluru. I googled but most results are pointing to blue lights beings used as timers to show upcoming change in red light so that people can shut off engine at traffic stops. But these lights are continuously blinking. ( I have a video but don't know how to attach it here)

Dear Ritesh,

I have seen these setups mainly on TN highways. I use two route to reach my home town Bangalore > Salem > Coimbatore > Thrissur > Thiruvalla and Bangalore > Theni > Cumbam > Thiruvalla.

Such lights are placed in almost all the places where there is a break in the median. Those of you who have traveled these roads know that vehicles move at high speed. These lights help warn drivers about the break in the median and to slow down. How many travelers actually slow down is another story

Coming to the question of why Blue/White, well I assume we are all accustomed to flashing red lights and tend to be less attentive but at the same time somehow give more attention when there are flashings Blue/red/white light bars (police/ambulance) and hence the choice of colors.

[kvsneela]

Blue, white, red indicators are installed at the the junction where median is open , which is equivalent to the stop line just to alert the driver especially at night time. It may be new to Bangalore but there are many places in TN roads I have noticed ( For example in Chennai Trichy GST road, there is one in Thiruvannamalai turn ( before Tindivanam) and one near the turn for Tindivanam city). It seems in Chennai LED lights are installed on the stop line itself ( in Marina road for example). ( In many countries blue light will be at the back of red light in the opposite direction by interconnecting so that patrol cops can see the blue light to understand that somebody crossed red)..

[Yieldway17]

This is a TN exported thing to Karnataka I guess. This kind of signals had been placed in median openings on many highways and intend to convey the intersection is uncontrolled. It's also seen on some non-NH highways as well and no idea who implemented it - NHAI local division or state highway department.

[dust-n-bones]

If all that these fancy lights convey is a break in a median, why not a a flashing amber light, with a road-sign to convey exactly that?



Why create more confusion on our roads than what we deal with already?

[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by dust-n-bones

If all that these fancy lights convey is a break in a median, why not a a flashing amber light, with a road-sign to convey exactly that?

A typical setup nowadays here is like - 1) Median opening sign you posted 2) Series of flashing amber lights installed in the median 3) This light at the intersection.