Waiting 3-seonds at a green light before proceeding

[exCLP]

Anyone have history, data or recommended practice information on the following:

"When the signal light turns green, the driver should remain stopped for 3-seconds of green, before starting into the intersection, to protect against cross-traffic drivers running their red light."

Evidently Bell Telephone Company's Safety Personnel use to instruct telephone company drivers to do this, as a matter of company policy. This same driver safety advise is again showing up in some corporate personnel safety training programs.

A concern with this advice being handed out again is present-day Actuated Left-Turn phasing timing-out on "snappy" timed signals about when the first driver starts to move in to the intersection, perhaps prompting disgruntled second & third queue drivers to run the following red light, since they expected to make the green light the first driver sat through.

Any official responses available on this one?

 

[ACtrafficengr]

Page 46 of the National Safety Council's defensive driving class manual says wait two seconds before accelerating, to avoid getting hit by a red light runner, and to use that time to look left, right, left to make sure the intersection is clear before entering the intersection.

They go on to say you should wait two seconds after the vehicle in front of you starts to move, before moving.

Sometimes, this make sense, but many times, I think it adds unnecesarily to the signal's lost time.

"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust

 

[civilperson]

No one lives forever, even with extreme safe driving. Risk vs reward is the principal to apply. Two seconds of lost time and road rage of everyone behind you vs 40,000 road deaths per 195,000,000 drivers.

 

[ACtrafficengr]

A good point, but according to FARS, fewer than 3000 fatal crashes occurred at signals in 2005.

For those drivers who actually think about what they are doing, the principle - drive so that you can avoid becoming a victim of others' mistakes - is probably a better lesson than the delayed acceleration technique. Those unwilling to think for themselves may need such rules.

"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust

 

[teeman]

The 3 second rule may be a dumbing down of the principle that you are not supposed to enter an intersection, regardless of the signal display, unless it is safe to do so. Drivers approaching an intersection or stopped at a redlight should be paying attention to conditions on the cross street approaches.

If I remember correctly, a recent study indicated that most crossing accidents occur more than 3 seconds after the onset of cross street red, so this rule really may not reduce exposure.

 

[burnt2x]

If I may, here's a clip.