I've noticed over the past couple days that I've been getting stuck at a lot of red lights. Going on the thought that most lights change based on the presence of a vehicle, maybe the 8 is too light for the sensor to trigger to change the light? Any thoughts?

 

if where you drive has sensors in the road, maybe youre missing them? ive done that a few times, and sat there forever (it always happens at an intersection where theres a red light camera, which sucks)

 

the sensors for traffic lights arent weight based. there is an inductance loop in the road that is effected by the presence of of the metal in the car because the inductor is really an electromagnet.
here this explains it better than i do http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

but not all lights have inductors and even if they do it wont necessarily change. it may just trip a timing sequence to change its "map"

 

Or you can be like me. I SWEAR my city has installed a transmitter on my car so they know when I approach an intersection. Red lights are all I seem to get !!

Chris...

 

even if it was aweight thing motorcycles are heavy enough to switch the light.

 

Not weight, but induction. Sometimes motorcycles won't trip the sensor because it isn't sensitive enough (not enough metal). They can be adjusted.

I doubt it's the 8. Plenty of cars around with less metal than the 8.

If you do think it's the sensor, call the local Dept of Trans and ask them to adjust it (tell them you ride a Harley)

 

Its almost always based on inductance. Most bikes won't trigger the sensor, so a lot of people who ride put these magnet things on the bottom of the frame. You can also zing the starter of a bike to get the light to change sometimes.

There's no way the rx-8 is too light. There are tons of cars out there lighter than 3000 lbs. Any weight sensor would probably have a threshold of around 400 lbs (which is about what most lighter 600's weigh).

 

a lot of redlights are hooked together and if you are speeding over a cetain amount they purposly change to slow you down.

 

If it's not based on sensors, and the 8 has enough mental, than I MUST be like Chris. Diffferent lights on completely different sides of the city...

 

There's something of an urban legend. It's not like the sensors for traffic lights can distinguish a particular car and its velocity, or whether or not a car or cars turned off/on the street at any number of intersections and driveways between sensors, thereby invalidating any "speeder" calculations that might be done...

--Massive

 

or you could live in atlanta, where [b]none[/i] of the lights are timed, and if you get caught by one, then you'll get caught by all of them. gee, i wonder why some many people speed and run redlights here? and instead of timing the lights, which would drastically improve traffic problems here, they are just installing red light cameras.

the metro counties have admitted that the timing of traffic lights is either significantly off, or not timed at all, but just not fixing the actual problem by saying that it would cost millions (and not be a source of revenue like the red light cameras).

 

No such thing as too light. :D

(I'm the kind of freak that wants mazda to build a 1400 pound carbonfiber-bodied mid-engined two-seater with a 240 horse rotary in it...:D )

That's still not light enough... :D :D

 

you need a star mazda car :D http://www.starmazda.com/cars.htm

 

Well, yeah, but with plates, lights, street-legal in the US and the rest of the world.

Whatyathink -- think Mazda can out-lotus Lotus? I think they can!

mmmmstarmazda..*drool* I merely sat in an earlier, 13B Formula Mazda car.. I don't fit. :D Too tall!

 

Driving in Atlanta is one of life's great joys. What with the referenced traffice light problems, but no road goes in a straight line. Seems to be a combination of losing the "war" and Jim Beam or maybe Jack Daniels. :p

 

I usually can get signals to change with my bicycle, as long as I park the wheel right over the wire track. The problem arises when they repave and cover up the original pavement cuts. Any car has more than enough metal.

 

I wonder if my wedding ring would set it off.

 

Just build it yourself :D

 

Just a quick note on the inductance loop that triggers the lights:

A trick that was imparted to me by an instructor at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation regarding the light trigger is to stop your motorcycle directly abouve the crack in the pavement to optimize the chances of being noticed. If you pay attention,at most intersections you can see a rectangular area cut into the pavement then patched where htey added the sensor, and if you are directly above that your better off.

not that this really applies, as in a car you are generally above some part of the loop anyways.

Back when I had a Fiero I always had trouble at lights. Too much plastic/not enough metal, I guess :D

 

Nowadays they have sensors also from up where the traffic lights are positioned. I dont know if they detect motion or what, but they work just as well it seems.

 

In my city many lights are timed specifically to stop traffic. They call it "Traffic Calming". Um, yeah...that works...I know it @#%&* calms me down !!!!!!!

I could make many of the lights, but it requires running 20 - 25 kph above the limit to do this, which means more revenue (err, sorry, safety fines) for the city from the photo radar vehicles and photo radar/red light cams.

Chris...