Martin Underwood wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 25 Jun 2005:

I had written:

France certainly is; Germany is more like us. Not sure about any other
European countries, we were only on the motorways in Belgium last
holidays, and I don't think I noticed what the situation was in
Switzerland.

I think Germany has no red-and-amber phase - I think I remember noticing.

I didn't think Germany did, but last holidays we were driving in both,
and my husband commented, when we got into Germany, that they followed a
similar system to us. So perhaps they've changed - or else, perhaps
they have red, followed by separate amber, followed by green? I was too
busy navigating to notice!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
Martin Underwood wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 25 Jun 2005:

I had written:

France certainly is; Germany is more like us. Not sure about any other
European countries, we were only on the motorways in Belgium last
holidays, and I don't think I noticed what the situation was in
Switzerland.

I think Germany has no red-and-amber phase - I think I remember noticing.

I didn't think Germany did, but last holidays we were driving in both,
and my husband commented, when we got into Germany, that they followed a
similar system to us. So perhaps they've changed - or else, perhaps
they have red, followed by separate amber, followed by green? I was too
busy navigating to notice!

I'm pretty sure that there wasn't a red-and-amber when I went on holiday to
Austria with my parents in the early 80s and we drove through Germany from
Munich to Innsbruck: I remember commenting on it. Can't remember how it was
when I went to Hannover more recently.

I bet the only downside of not driving is that you get called upon to do all
the navigating - like non-drinkers get imposed upon to do all the driving
after parties etc!

In message ,
Martin Underwood writes
France certainly is; Germany is more like us.
Although I've not seen it anywhere else, I very much liked the pigs ears
on traffic lights (Little repeaters at eye height), that the French have
on all there lights.
--
Clive

Clive wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 26 Jun 2005:

In message 42beabf3$0$41915$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-
reader03.plus.net, Martin Underwood writes
France certainly is; Germany is more like us.
Although I've not seen it anywhere else, I very much liked the pigs ears
on traffic lights (Little repeaters at eye height), that the French have on
all there lights.

I do, too - it means they don't need repeater lights on the other side
of the junction, as motorists can see what they are looking at even if
they are at the front of the clue. Only thing is, when we were walking
in France, I kept thinking they were pedestrian crossings....
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Martin Underwood wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 26 Jun 2005:

I bet the only downside of not driving is that you get called upon to do all
the navigating - like non-drinkers get imposed upon to do all the driving
after parties etc!

Indeed, and my husband, like several others of my acquaintance, doesn't
follow directions well. Or slow down so you can read road signs.... and
expects you to know, by instinct, which way to turn! Then, when you
tell him, he says "Oh, I can't turn here, I'm in the wrong lane", and
goes merrily on in the wrong direction. Or takes the wrong exit from a
roundabout when you say "Not that one"......

Someone suggested GPS, but our rather out-of-date system doesn't help
all that much! It is, however, very useful when you have gone badly
wrong!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

In message , Mrs Redboots
writes

I didn't think Germany did, but last holidays we were driving in both,
and my husband commented, when we got into Germany, that they followed a
similar system to us. So perhaps they've changed - or else, perhaps
they have red, followed by separate amber, followed by green? I was too
busy navigating to notice!

The most common traffic lights in Germany are indeed like UK ones:

http://home.att.net/~texhwyman/zeichen4.htm

--
Paul Terry

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...
In message , Mrs Redboots
writes

I didn't think Germany did, but last holidays we were driving in both,
and my husband commented, when we got into Germany, that they followed a
similar system to us. So perhaps they've changed - or else, perhaps
they have red, followed by separate amber, followed by green? I was too
busy navigating to notice!

The most common traffic lights in Germany are indeed like UK ones:

http://home.att.net/~texhwyman/zeichen4.htm

Very interesting. There are some interesting features that we could do with
adopting he I like the idea of the red light as well as the green light
at filter junctions having an arrow. At a junction where there are separate
lights for straight ahead and turn left (or right), it's difficult to know
as you are approaching whether both sets of lights are the same (normal
junction) or separate (filter junction). Many times I've instictively braked
because I've seen a red light, only to realise that it's for the other
stream of traffic and that I've got a green. If the filter red light was
red, you could tell at a glance whether or not it applied to you.

What's the German rule on roundabouts (if they have them in Germany)? Do you
give way to traffic on the roundabout coming from your left (ie mirror image
of the situation in Britain) or does traffic already on the roundabout have
to give way to traffic that wants to join, as I believe is the case in The
Netherlands?

Martin Underwood wrote:
Very interesting. There are some interesting features that we could do with
adopting he I like the idea of the red light as well as the green light
at filter junctions having an arrow.
[...]
If the filter red light was
red, you could tell at a glance whether or not it applied to you.

While in principle a red-filter might seem a good idea, it does
cause some cognitive dissonance (at least for me)[1].

Arrow == "go that way"
Red == "stop"

Stop... go... stop... go... stop... go... err...

By all means have a red filter, but ffs don't make
it an arrow. Perhaps a "--|" rather than "--".


[1] I've driven a little in Australia, where they have them.
The lights went from Green to Green+RedRightArrow and I had
about a second to (a) stop in the fast lane (of three)
or (b) cross three lanes of about-to-move oncoming traffic.
Now my concious brain knows what a red arrow means, but there
wasn't time to even think about checking for the curiousities
of local traffic rules...

#Paul