Sensitive drivers, insensitive lights?

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 4

Sensitive drivers, insensitive lights?

I Christchurch has about : three times more inter- | section collisions between vehicles than Auckland or Wellington. It also has the highest density of intersections; and ;the Christchurch City Council is worried about ‘‘a disi turbingly high rate of injury ! and non-injury accidents at ; intersections," according to i its traffic engineer (Mr M. L. Gadd). One reason is that not ; enough attention is paid to I traffic signals. A partial so-

: lut.ion might be additional; . traffic sensors placed in the; streets further away from; ' the lights. Mr Gadd said that many signa 1-controlled inter- . sections had an “apparent I lack of sensitivity” to traffic needs. There might be a way I ■ to allow some red signals to; change ahead of time if no! : traffic was coming the other; i way. Many drivers, especially; those who were drunk or in I a hurry, had a tendency to! become frustrated by signals' ■ not in their favour.