Ok I totally understand running the odd yellow (faded green) stoplight, everyone is guilty of that once and a while. BUT SERIOUSLY, lately I have noticed many more motorists running (speeding up) through yellow or red lights. It’s pretty obvious these vehicles could have stopped but instead 4 or 5 vehicles are racing though yellow-red lights. Not only is this illegal but it is how people are killed when trying to turn left because they are in the middle of the intersection as the light changes. People need to relax and wait 2 minutes for the light to be green again. For you own and the safety of everyone else. —Blair
This article appears in Aug 11-17, 2011.
Very much agree. Not too long ago I was at the corner of North and Robie and witnessed not just one but several douchebags doing this “racing through the yellow/red light at the last minute thing”……….WHILE there was an ambulance with lights and sirens going attempting to make its way through the intersection. I was like, really? You gaining 2 minutes on your commute is that much more important than someone’s life?
Wow, that is pretty unbelievable MR.
I don’t believe you for a minute MR.
I believe you, MR. This is Halifax after all. For motorists, stupidity trumps common sense 95% of the time.
Yeah, this action is really on the increase. Self-centered and entitled beyond, and they couldn’t care less about others, as long as they get their way. Trouble is when they mis-judge and eventually crash they usually harm innocent people more than themselves.
First off, an amber light means proceed with caution. At an intersection it is warning you that the light is about to change to red. If you are already in the intersection, or to close to stop safely, you can proceed. I agree that people abuse this constantly, and police rarely do anything about it for some reason.
People are stupid, what can you do? There is a book out there, available for free, with all the rules written out for you with diagrams and pics to illustrate. Still people can’t grasp the rules of the road.
Believe me or not, I don’t really care.
I’d always thought Hfx drivers were pretty good with getting out of ambulances’ way, for the most part, until I witnessed that. There was no mistaking an ambulance was coming through because it was so freaking loud, and there they were bombing through at 60 or 70. I wish there had been a random cop car there to chase them down. Maybe some of the cars didn’t want to slow down for fear of causing a rear-end collision, but it wouldn’t have been an issue if everyone didn’t feel entitled to cram every last car through the intersection as possible, or that they’re not paying attention to the intersection ahead of them so don’t slow down.
lol I was pulled over, well my friend was, I was riding shotgun, for going through a yellow. On Gottigen St. by the Y. I think it had more to do with our age/attire (my friend riding in the back had a baseball cap on backwards) and the fact that we didn’t yield to the squad car trying to get off the curb onto the street. That’s what my friend opined anyway. I hope that’s not the reason because we were under no obligation to let them into traffic. We were in the middle of the intersection when the light turned yellow.
I just so happened to have an ounce on me. It wasn’t a fun day. The cop admittedly, that’s right, he admitted, to illegally searching my friends car.
Ah well, I did adult diversion. They were alright about it, they wrote us up and let us go, and took my weed, and for the record they didn’t submit all of it for evidence. They reported about 5 or 10 grams less than what they took from me. I told my friend not to take Gottigen.
I still think it was textbook profiling, and in violation of my constitutional rights, but it wasn’t too bad. They also tried to make us tell them where the weed came from, we declined. I can’t get too mad about that one because riding around with illegal substances is illegal and a bad idea. I haven’t done it since.
So if that makes anyone feel any better, lol they DO sometimes pull people over for going through yellow lights, although maybe not for the right reasons.
not to worry thomas, i am banned from the eaton centre for life. got caught smoking a spliff outside when i was a young’un
While the general don’t give a fuck attitude has really taken hold, there is no excuse for getting drilled while turning INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. DUH wait until oncoming traffic stops or passes; press gas pedal. Not really anyone’s fault but your own.
This isn’t excusing the fuckwads that do blow these signals; I saw 3 guys go through a stop sign in Dartmouth Crossing. Oh well, some day these dildos will get all smug, do it to the wrong guy and get a mouthful of bloody Chiclets.
I am soon going to buy a dash cam since the nimrods out on the road today are getting stupider, and I often have 2 young kids in the car.
AHHA, ok, last fall my dad was driving me to work and he was merging onto lacewood from parkland and this little asshole in a busted old honda races the light, and dad ended up cutting him off because the guy ultimately ran a red and he started honking and going all bat shit. ANYWAY, we’re stopped at the first set of lights just before the highway and you can see the guy in his car going fucking NUTS and yelling at the passenger and looking at his rearview mirror. So I say to dad “that guy is PISSED” while lol-ing, and being the shit disturber my dad is, he raises his middle finger up from the wheel. The guy went BEZERK — jumped out of his car, was stomping and yelling and his arms were flailing around and shit. Anyway, I told dad “lock the doors” and he did and we both sat there pointing and laughing. That made the guy even more mad.
He eventually got back in his car and went speeding away on the highway.
Two weeks later we saw him further down on lacewood where his car had been part of an accident.
He looked really pissed off then, too.
lol for life PG? surely you can appeal that by now.
hahaha that’s hilarious PK. Maybe it is too easy to get your license in NS, or indeed Canada. Maybe there should be some type of test to see if you’re prone to road rage.
There was a guy who got shot for cutting someone else off in traffic. Ah the Caribbean, where life it sweet and the stupid ones are killed quickly. Tribal council their behinds off the island.
Of course I kid … or do I.
it was thirty years ago tommy, i don’t think they carry my picture around^^security guards took us into the bowels of the centre and told us were banned. the police were a bit over the top, but hay, i got caught and sucked it up. it is crazy watching folks go apeshit in their cars. when the bus strike was on i saw some irrational out-a-control behaviour… hyper-defensive driving is all you can do
Yellow means speed up, especially on SGR and Barrington. OP, congrats on having a car and getting to run those red lights. Those ass clowns on the buses don’t even know what a red light is due to their lack of education.
dear left hand turners, once you are in the intersection….DO NOT Turn until safe to do so.
OP, you sound like a “OMG! OMG! the light is red!!!! OMG! I have to turn right now! OMG!”
So the yellow light doesn’t mean to go faster ?!?
My dad was must have been mistaken then, or I misheard him .
When you are making a left hand turn: you pull into the intersection, stop looking at the color of the traffic lights, make the turn when safe to do so.
If you do this, you should never be hit by a vehicle blowing a red light
“turn when safe to do so” is the motto regardless.
Once in the intersection, who cares what the color of the light is?
or following the rules – don’t pull into the intersection UNTIL it is safe to proceed and you have a green light.
sheesh.