h a l f b a k e r yCompound disinterest.
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Barrier arms are commonplace at railway crossings.
Some countries (i.e Russia), and specific locations, have problems with drivers "running" red lights, or "jumping" amber lights.
The obvious answer would be to install power-operated half-barriers alongside the traffic lights. They descend just
after the light goes red, and rise as the light goes green.
Running a traffic light then beomes abnormally loud and expensive for drivers, and unavoidably painful for cyclists (who are also guilty of such sins).
Emergency service vehicles are already equipped with transmitters that override the signals, so the barriers would lift automatically.
should have gone to ssavers
https://www.youtube...watch?v=B-gEq2l4nCw
reminded me of this [po, Aug 14 2016]
B-B-B-Barrier
http://www.maxheadr...en-headroom-bar.jpg
D-D-D-Dammit! [whatrock, Aug 14 2016]
Mongrel
http://i1125.photob...lviper/DSC02276.jpg
[not_morrison_rm, Aug 15 2016]
[link]
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Those arms break easily enough that I doubt their use
would last very long. What might be more effective are
pop-up tire destroyers, that only pop down again when the
light turns green. |
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That's already been suggested. <link> |
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The problem with tyre-damage strips is you end up with a disabled, undriveable vehicle blocking the road. |
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With this idea, the vehicle will sustain expensive cosmetic damage but will still be driveable. |
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The barrier arms are essentially sacrificial - just a sturdy wooden bar, painted red and white, maybe with a couple of red reflectors. A small truck with a maintenance crew could trundle round replacing any barrier reported broken by the actuator system. |
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Instead of Traffic Light Barrier Arms, why not just have Armed Traffic Lights? You can fill in the details..... |
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If I understand the construction of the device, adding a sturdy
spring mount would negate the need for replacement,
allowing the barrier to snap back in place after contact. |
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Indeed. The barrier would swing when pushed, with increasing resistance, so that the tip scrapes along the side of the car, scratching through the paintwork all along the side. |
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Then it flips back into place. |
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[8th of 7], that's a good point, about the disabled vehicles.
So, perhaps as long as cars have a lot of steel in them, we
could put giant electromagnets under the road at the
entryways into the intersections, and those magnets would
be turned ON when the light turns red. |
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That's going to be a fairly power-hungry solution, and the eddy currents induced in vehicle wiring may damage some systems. |
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Besides, if the car's going fast enough, it may be through the field before it gets grabbed. |
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This is a practical and reasonable solution to a
genuine problem. [8th], I am very disappointed. |
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Here on the cool side of the Atlantic, it is legal to
turn right on a red light. These arms wouldn't allow
that. |
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Correct. But right turn on red is usually implemented where there are two or more lanes approaching the stop line. Simply place the barrier mechanism on the centre median. |
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If that isn't practical, then the junction is unsuitable for the scheme. |
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It is likely that it would only be deployed at junctions with a history of red-running/accidents. |
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//junctions with a history of red-running/accidents |
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So, block off that lane permanently. No more accidents. |
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Fitting the free end of the barrier with teeth would, if
appropriately spaced, scratch a horizontal barcode into the
paint to denote that particular intersection. Repair shops
could scan the scratches and learn where the infraction took
place. |
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Simply install one iteration of Mongrel [linky] (from the ABC Warriors) at aforementioned junction, soon large pile of squashed cars (including occupants)...that kind of bad news goes around quick. No known way to stop it going "Laaarrrraa" in the dark of the night |
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// Repair shops could scan the scratches and learn where the infraction took place. // |
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No need. After all, the penalty for the infraction has already been imposed ... |
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Automated bb gun firing randomly into catch and return bucket along same path as the barrier arm. Damage to paint and any animal say 18 inches tall.
Connected to walk buttons to avoid striking pedestrians who are not jaywalking. |
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These would probably have the effect as our brief flirtation with red light cameras did. |
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Accidents caused by somebody running the light are reduced, while accidents caused by people panicking at the sight of a yellow light and stopping early are increased. |
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I'm sure some halfbaker can find comedy in that. |
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Another option that, like spike strips, would result in an
immobilized car becoming an obstacle would be fluidized
sand traps, probably the only useful thing Smash Lab ever
came up with. |
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