Combining Traffic Arrows

[Zmapper]

You'll occasionally see a combined arrow like that in Mexico:

Actually, it was a Swiss signal that I got the idea from.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=switzerland&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.546728,93.076172&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Switzerland&ll=47.420723,8.556703&spn=0.001094,0.00284&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=47.420595,8.556578&panoid=2QEYrOVswAdvCdAmsDSETQ&cbp=12,243.78,,2,-26.76

[Scott5114]

the squared off polarized, directional type ones.

I miss those terribly.

[Alps]

the squared off polarized, directional type ones.

I miss those terribly.

Ask and ye shall receive.

[yakra]

I hate the red ball + green arrow combo: without fail, the bozo in front of me almost always stops at it.
But OTOH, If it were solely a green arrow, people would run it & go straight. (That's what this combo is meant to prevent, right?)
In cases such as the above I think a red ^ arrow would be justified, and even clearer.

[mightyace]

^^^

Interesting, nobody here in middle Tennessee would stop at a red ball and green arrow, they'd just keep going.  Hey, even a red ball doesn't stop many of them. 

[Alps]

I hate the red ball + green arrow combo: without fail, the bozo in front of me almost always stops at it.
But OTOH, If it were solely a green arrow, people would run it & go straight. (That's what this combo is meant to prevent, right?)
In cases such as the above I think a red ^ arrow would be justified, and even clearer.

The combo is meant to confuse.  Separate your arrows and your balls.

[Ian]

the squared off polarized, directional type ones.

I miss those terribly.

Those are 3M programmable visibility (PV) signals:


McCain Traffic Supply (or simply, McCain) also still makes these PV heads:

[agentsteel53]

The combo is meant to confuse.  Separate your arrows and your balls.

what you do with your balls is your business.  Just keep your arrows out of my balls, please.

[agentsteel53]

ooh, I hate the polarized/directional kind of light!  Hate it!  Because if I am not looking at it from precisely the right angle, the light appears to be inactive, and every driver responds to an inactive light differently.  Some treat it as a four-way stop.  Others assume they have the right of way and plow through.

in general, invisible lights are a bad idea.

[architect77]

^^^
My first thought on this is, "What about color blind people?"

With multiple balls, you can deduce the aspect from position even if you can't discern the color.

Good Point. And horizontally mounted signals can confuse color-blind drivers from other states also.

[Ian]

^^^
My first thought on this is, "What about color blind people?"

With multiple balls, you can deduce the aspect from position even if you can't discern the color.

Good Point. And horizontally mounted signals can confuse color-blind drivers from other states also.

Newer Quebec signals as well as a few installations in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have shaped lenses to help this problem. Red is square, yellow is diamond, and green is a circle.

[realjd]

Good Point. And horizontally mounted signals can confuse color-blind drivers from other states also.

Red is on the left, green is on the right. They figure it out pretty quick.

[froggie]

Newer Quebec signals as well as a few installations in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have shaped lenses to help this problem. Red is square, yellow is diamond, and green is a circle.

EVERY overhead installation I saw in PEI had shaped lenses.

[agentsteel53]

Red is on the left, green is on the right. They figure it out pretty quick.

I've seen it the other direction.  can't remember where (Quebec?) but it's existed.

[KillerTux]

ooh, I hate the polarized/directional kind of light!  Hate it!  Because if I am not looking at it from precisely the right angle, the light appears to be inactive, and every driver responds to an inactive light differently.  Some treat it as a four-way stop.  Others assume they have the right of way and plow through.

in general, invisible lights are a bad idea.

Those lights need to be correctly masked or they just don't work. The 3M traffic light I installed in my garage is set up right as I found this youtube, turned out pretty good.

[deathtopumpkins]

We have a couple installations of those signals left here in Hampton. One I drive through frequently that stands out is Armistead Ave. at Thomas St., adjacent to I-64.

[Scott5114]

There is a Part 2 to that video which goes into the actual procedure for limiting the areas where the aspect can be seen. Amazingly, it's simply done by looking through the lens from the back and using metallic tape to block off areas where you don't want viewers to be able to see!

[Troubleshooter]

MUTCD Rules:

- Only one arrow on a signal lens.

- Red arrow is now required for exclusively protected left turn signals.

- Only green and yellow arrows may be combined into the same lens, and then only if there are 3 or more lenses.

- If a lane is shared between different traffic movements, all of the movements must have greens that begin and end at the same time.

-