The majority of stop lights are superfluous 70% of their life, only having value during high traffic (school day, work day and special events) periods. The most annoying are set on simple timers that rotate mindlessly. Personally, I live between two rural towns (under 70,000 each) and I would advocate turning all the lights not on an interstate to blinking red after 7:00 p.m. unless there was a proven need or special event. It seem that, locally, once a red light is installed, it can never be removed.
I would probably take it to court, @bolwerk, if ticketed. I would probably lose, but I would probably end up getting several lights disabled before I was through.
I think there’s a gap in terminology, @GloPro. To me, “running a red light” is blowing through a light without stopping – _very dangerous. Disregarding a red light is an extended version of ‘right on red’. There are no other vehicles visible at a high visibility stop light.
I don’t know why they aren’t just stop signs, or disabled after hours, @hominid. I know of several that are specific-business based, and although those businesses have regular hours, the lights function 24/7. The road I live on is one of the busiest in the county and there is a light on it that was designed to regulate traffic from huge manufacturing concern…that went out of business a decade or more ago.
Oddly, I started my practice of treating red lights like stop signs because of either Fluther or Askville. A European member was chastising Americans for being such stupid cows that they sat at red lights when there was no one else present. It struck home, and I’m slowly getting used to just going on about my way.