Are you one of the millions who tosses away a good portion of the day sitting in traffic and wasting inordinate amounts of time during the process? Welcome to the club, as recent reports state the average San Jose citizen
wastes up to 54 hours per year just sitting in traffic. I think the total is easily more than that, and if you've driven in Silicon Valley traffic before, you're probably inclined to agree with me. In other areas, the figures range from 20 hours to 70 hours per year. Bleh!
Hey, we're not yet to the point in the future where flying cars ala'
The Fifth Element have arrived, so what is the solution? If you're into cheating the system, how about a way to gain access to all the green traffic lights that you can? If you're into reducing the number of stops your lane of traffic has and you drive a smaller car, truck, scooter or motorcycle, listen up.
For about $6 or so, you can probably score some 3M exterior mounting tape and a pair of small neodymium magnets. With those two items, you'll fool most current traffic stop induction systems into thinking that Scion is a Ford Expedition -- and with that disguise, you'll gain access to much faster green lights. I'm trying this one soon after a short trip to the nearest Home Depot. Get the dibs using the below video. (NOTE: This may be illegal where you live! We provide this info for edutainment purposes only)
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)
This should not be illegal anywhere, as it's not doing anything but providing a larger inductive footprint, just like a larger vehicle has. It will not fool any sensors into acting as though you are an emergency vehicle, and it wont get you a light faster than driving a large vehicle would.
ReplyWhat it does do is make sure you're noticed by the sensor. Many motorcycle and scooter drivers get stuck at lights like these where the green light will never come because the sensor didn't register their arrival. Most lights with a sensor like these will still cycle green after a certain amount of time, but it might be long, maybe 10 minutes. Some will never change unless the sensor detects a vehicle
That is why, here in Tennessee they passed a law for motorcycle riders. If you arrive at one of these lights between 11pm and 6am you have to stop. Give a certain amount of time and if the light will not change cycles go feel free to go giving it is safe. When I ride up to them I treat it like a delayed stop sign.
ReplyGood trick. I have always simply kicked my motorcycle's centerstand down onto the pavement on the loop to get a larger metal footprint (or closer) and that has rarely failed me. I always had plans to make a battery-powered (or 12V powered) electromagnet to use in assorted experiments including messing with proxemity loops or sensors.
Replyhmmm. I just wonder why you would need the mounting tape to hold the magnet to the usually steel entwined bottom of the vehicle (like the steelcenterstand in the vid?) Well, maybe it's those darn composites nowadays-augh!
This is nothing new. This technology has been around for years. They actually make devices you can mount onto your motorcycle or vehicle designed for this purpose. I don't know if they're illegal, but they sell them all over the place in Virginia. Don't know about elsewhere.
ReplyI was stuck at a traffic light for 5 min it stayed red while I patiently waited for it to turn green. I never turned until 2 other cars came to the lane.
Replywell anyway as I type for the 3rd f in time I had to wait for 5 min for a light to turn and I was in a cavalier never turned until 2 other cars entered the lane.
ReplyReally, all you need to do is "rock" back and forth a bit...the light is tricked into thinking there are more people waiting. It works all the time! Just drive forward a few feet, backward and forward again.
ReplyThis story has all the earmarks of an urban myth.
ReplyInductive loop traffic sensors operate by sensing a *decrease* in the inductance of the loop, which is energized by a low frequency AC signal, caused by the proximity of fairly large amounts of *conductive* material (not ferrous material).
Passing even a strong permanent magnet over the loop will only induce a short transient voltage, far out of the band of the signal voltage, and it will not decrease the inductance of the loop.
This has about as much validity as using magnets on your fuel line to improve mileage, or on your wrist to reduce carpal tunnel syndrome!
It is disappointing that these hoaxes are so readily propagated by our relatively science-naive media.
"When I ride up to them I treat it like a delayed stop sign."
ReplyAJ, just what IS a "delayed" stop sign? Do the stop signs change color in Tennessee?
Are people so dumb to believe this? Really, something is wrong with our educational system. You have to be an outright retard to believe this. No kidding; outright retard. IQ of 25-50.
Replywhats a retard?
Replywhats a retard?
ReplyI'm a traffic engineer. I design detector loops, as part of traffic signals, for a living. Really.
ReplyDetector loops work when their field of influence is affected. The field of influence has a shape....envision a cylinder wrapped around each of the pavement wires. Half the "cylinder" is buried in the street, half is not. If the detector loop were shaped as a circle, the visible field of influence would look like half a doughnut sitting on the street.
The problem is that a cycle will sit in between these fields of influence, in a dead spot. Cars don't have that problem. We try to avoid having the dead spot, but problems can occur if the fields overlap (falsely detecting vehicles in the adjacent lane, for example.)
Put your cycle right over the wire. If you can't see the wire (it's covered over sometimes with asphalt) position yourself so you are about 1/3 of the way from the edge of the lane.
Inductive loops are old technology. Video detection technology, such as Autoscope (Google it) gets rid of the cycle detection problem.
Happy motoring.
Jeff the Traffic Engineer
That's why all Cities should by Video Detection. It doesn't conduct anything. It looks for a greyscale change within the video image. Motorcycles are no problem. It will pick up a person walking in the roadway if they are walking in the same direction as a car would pull up to the light.
Replywhere i live, you can see the boxes you have to run over in order to trigger the green light. if you don't sit in the box, it won't ever turn green, and if you stay there, it'll stay green.
ReplyBicycles have an even worse problem than motorcycles at intersections where signal lights are controlled by inductive loops, instead of the old fashioned simple timer boxes that change the lights on a cyclic pattern regardless of traffic. Jeff and Jim's suggestions are very helpful. However, a bike rider must stay to the far right hand edge of the roadway for his own safety. He cannot make himself visible to the LOOP by venturing out over its field in the middle of the lane to wait on a red light, without facing the rathe of overtaking motorists approaching the intersection.
ReplyThe best that a biker can hope is that a dump truck is at the loop, or that some passing construction truck has lost a large piece of plywood right over the LOOP, thereby activating a change from red to green, every so often. But at the current price of plywood, it wouldn't stay there long, as someone would sure stop to retrieve it.
I have seen motorcyclists who weren't savvy as to how the LOOP worked sit at traffic lights until they were so disgusted they just turned around.
3M mounting take??
ReplyOkay I'm not a traffic engineer , but in LA the Rapid buses use a technology that keeps the light green to improve traffic, but there are illegal devices that use that too. The problem I have with it is that people can cause terrible accidents using it improperly. Correct me if I'm wrong about that, but it sounds like a selfish act.
ReplyThis idea has been around for quite some time in several forms commercialy, mainly for motorcycles who get stuck at traffic lights.
ReplyIt usually is a stick on magnet or it uses a zip tie to hold it in place on the frame ot the bike.
It is not Illegal I have one fitted to my Honda VTX1800 Motorcycle and it does work on most traffic lights.
what it does is to trigger the lights cycle so it cycles through the routine and lights up the signal your stuck in. It does not trigger the lights instantly like the strobe flasher on emergency vehicles.
In Texas the law states that if the lights have cycled three times you may if it causes no danger to yourself or other road users make the turn. but try explaining it to a police oficer who ses you. I know this from experience.
You can write to the local traffic authority too asking for the sensetivity to be reset.
very very true, I drive a honda civic, and thats all I do. is rock back and forth a tiny bit since I drive a standard. or flash my brights at the light. but its not really needed where I am as our light system is set on timers most of the time. turning lane goes first, then strait, turning lane, trait, and so forth
Reply