OT: Flashing your brights at intersections

[jdoggivjc]

Most traffic lights are controlled by sensors planted in the pavement that your vehicle runs over on its way toward the intersection. When traffic is at peak times, in most cases lights are set on timers, but when traffic volumes are low, they will use the embedded sensors. The sensors are planted far enough away from the intersection that they signal the lights to change to green for you before you slow down too much.

Davenport and Bettendorf are actually going away from the pavement sensors and going to a sensor mounted on the traffic light crossbar that resembles a video camera (note that these are different from the speeding and red light cameras as these are only for controlling traffic, or so we're told).

[GM4ISU]

I flashed mine at a stop sign! didn't work

[jdoggivjc]

I flashed mine at a stop sign! didn't work

You think??? (apparently not...)

[jbhtexas]

I flashed mine at a stop sign! didn't work

[CloneFan65]

I don't know. While sitting at a red light at night I flashed my brights, and within 90 seconds the light changed to green, so there might be something to this.

[Clonefan94]

I'll assume most of them here in Illinois are radio controlled. We have white lights at the intersections mounted on on the cross bar of the light poles that lights up when oncoming emergency vehicles are enroute. I've seen them light up before when I couldn't hear nor see the vehicle in question. When the vehicle became visible, there is no way a siren or flashing headlights triggered the light.

[borc4cy]

Ya its cool until you get caught like some dude in Cedar Rapids did.