Did you know?

Pull up to the stop bar or sit in traffic DUNMORE — How often have you sat in your car at a red light, with no other vehicle in sight, waiting for it to turn green? Chances are, if you pulled up just a few feet closer, your vehicle would activate the signal and turn it green. This happens not only at most intersections, but also in single lane construction zones where lanes are restricted to accommodate the work. For example, some bridges are reconstructed at “half-width,” where one lane must be shared by alternating traffic controlled by a signal. Motorists who are unaware of stop bars sometimes stop too far back and wait for the light to change, with a line of traffic growing behind them. Unfamiliar with the new traffic patterns that work zones present, many motorists might not see the sign that reads, “Stop here on Red” or “Pull up to activate signal.” Occasionally, the stop bar may be located off-center to allow room for trucks to turn. The “stop bar” or “stop line” is a solid white line, normally 24 inches wide extending across approach lanes. Beneath the road surface, there is a loop that detects the metal of a vehicle above it. The approaching vehicle triggers the countdown for the signal change, allowing opposing traffic to clear the oncoming lane and change the signal in favor of the stopped lane. If a vehicle stops too far away from the bar, it will remain undetected and keep the signal in favor of opposing traffic. Contrary to popular belief, these signals do not have timers built into them that automatically turn from red to green every few minutes. The sequence must be triggered by a vehicle.