Traffic Lights “Best Left On”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31381, 29 May 1967, Page 19

Traffic Lights “ Best Left On”

Switching off Christchurch traffic lights at off-peak periods would not show any significant saving in time or running costs, and might increase accidents, said the Christchurch City Council’s traffic superintendent (Mr J. F. Thomas).

Mr Thomas was replying to a letter to the editor of “The Press” by a correspondent, P. J. Oakley, who wrote: “While traffic lights .were pot operating at Mporhouse avenue and Colombo street recently, I and several friends commented on the irritation all traffic lights cause outside peak traffic periods. Particularly between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m., their usefulness seems non-existent and indeed the tiny minority of reckless drivers who often disregard them make them a danger to the trusting driver. At a time of crisis in the nation’s economy their cost in petrol and electricity is of national as well as local importance. Why are the lights not turned off between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.. either automatically or by traffic officers on duty?” Switching off the lights had been considered, and tests had been made both in New Zealand and overseas, Mr Thomas said. The general opinion was that where the lights were efficiently controlled by vehicle-actuated systems'there was nothing to be gained in time by switching them off at off-peak periods. The department felt that the security offered motorists by the lights would outweigh any irritation that the correspondent suggested was caused. The department was also very conscious that switching off the lights might increase accidents and lead to confusion it the intersections concerned.

Similarly, it was felt the possibility of increased acci-

dents would outweigh any economies which might be achieved.

In nearly all cases where traffic lights were switched off overseas at off-peak periods the lights worked on a fixed-time basis, and could cause considerable delays at slack times. However, in Christchurch all lights were vehicle-actuated, and with the high degree of maintenance given them almost no delays resulted if no other vehicles were using the intersection, Mr Thomas said.