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-   -   What do you do when approaching traffic junction and light turns Amber ?? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/65109-what-do-you-do-when-approaching-traffic-junction-light-turns-amber.html)

:Frustrati
Well thats the initial feeling.

Ditto for me today morning when I was approaching University signal from Aundh and that's a big longish signal in morning traffic situation. And I was in my normal speed - 50 kmph and saw the signal turning from Green to Amber. I put neutral and slowed down to stop at the light.

Signal is still Amber. What do you do in that situation?

The honking I got from the cab driver from behind was terrible and he started shouting as to why the hell did I stop at Amber light and as if only I had all the time in the world to stop at such a thing; and that made me feel if I had done anything wrong. I told him something loudly that immediately shut his mouth. I will post that if Mods permit; well no abuses and bad words; but something that must've embarrased him.lol:

Should I have just cruised ahead or do what I did? What do you do?

[FONT=Arial]You did the right thing by stopping at amber and you should be proud that you are on the right side of law.
[/FONT]

If I am approaching an amber light and there's no one in front of me I usually slow down first and wait till I am almost at the stop line before deciding to stop or not - so that if it is still amber by the time I reach the stop line I can continue. Amber usually lasts for three to five seconds, so you can often predict when it will turn red.

Sometimes the decision is made easier for you by the impatient ones from another road who get the green when you are on red - they would have started out when your light is still amber.

Anyway you haven't done anything wrong. Better safe than sorry and watch out for people like that cabbie who may rear-end you.

Wrong way of slowing down from 50Kmph.

Decides based on the traffic conditions & the point where Iam, when it turns to amber. If Iam near the stop line, when it just turns amber, will move off. Also more importantly have to watch out for guys moving out from other sides, even when still 8-9 counts is left. Else will slow down and stop before the line.

Generally, the guy, who gets stuck behind me without enough space to cut my car at either sides, will shout at me. But Iam least bothered & busy watching ahead ignoring whatever that's happening behind me.

Usually, I get the guys, who rushed through the amber signal, stuck at the next signal :)

Well, When I drive in Delhi, Vadodara, Surat or Bangalore, I stop at the line only after 3 seconds of amber light. I stop in Mumbai within the 1st second of the amber light switching.

Yeah, I feel helpless if I am coasting in neutral, regardless the speed. I'd prefer some control in any gear. Just last night, I stopped at an amber on the Eastern Express highway at Godrej compound ( a signal I love to hate), and got honked and flashed at too. I simply turned up the music and waited for green. Sometimes, a reaction is simply unnecessary. Ignore the (insert colourful adjective here)'s as far as possible. Their obscenities are just a mirror to their own character, you don't have to reciprocate. Any screaming match will be won by the potty mouth more often anyways, so why bother? If you really want to drive him nuts, smile and wave back.

Cheers,
Sriku

OT:
@Surprise: I'm Tamil enough to be able to read your signature, but not enough to understand it entirely! Yelaien siripil (stem of leaf?) eraivanai kanalam(can find God?) It's beautiful and I really want to understand it. Please translate.

If you see amber you should be prepared to stop, unless you will cross the stop line without a drastic manoeuvre (i.e stamping on the brake). You should never be in neutral except when changing gears, or (maybe) stopped.

I usually use my judgement in this situation. If I see the opposite side already moving after seeing my amber, I slow down and stop not matter what. If I don't see oncoming traffic when I see amber and I know for sure that I can safely get across, then I go for it.

When I started driving bike, twice I was almost hit by the local buses when I stopped for amber light at the signal. From then on, It has become regular habit to slow down when light turns amber, check rear view to see if any heavy vehicle is behind and to stop only if I don't see one.

@sriku: It means in the you can see God in the smile/laughter of the poor, (yezhayin sirippil if that helps)

O.T: Sriku, it is not a leaf (elai) but the poor ones (yelai/yezhai). Translated literally it means "you can see God in the happy smiles of the poor"!

When I approach a signal that is just turning amber, I will depress the brake pedal just enough to turn on my brake light and watch my rear, then brake fully and stop - even if the amber is still on. It will turn to red within a couple of seconds any way.

If i've already reached the crossing when the light turns amber, i go since its dangerous to stop in between but if im behind the white line, i wait till its geen again.

Shan2nu

Thanks for the phonetic help, its fantastic. I understand now.

Thanks Gansan, much appreciated. Blame the elai/yezhai confusion on the "agraharam in Mumbai" Tamil that I'm used to.

Cheers,
Sriku

I learnt something new today. It's been my practice for quite some years now to put my car in neutral and put brakes gradually coming to halt when I see green turning to amber and some distance to be covered till stop line. Will change the habit as suggested by gurus if its not a safe practice what I am following till now.

Now turning to the part what I said to the taxi driver. Here is what I did.

After turning the engine off (its a ~150 sec signal) I approached the taxi and told him verbatim "Aage Red Light area hai tumko jaana hai to jaao mereko nahi jaana hai". I waited for his reaction and noticed couple of smiling faces around. Well, there was no reaction from him, just rolled down the windows.