Red flashing light on approach to a bend with a traffic light

[Daisy]

On a certain bend in France which has a set of traffic lights halfway round, there is usually a yellow light which flashes on the approach. The other day it was flashing red, why has it changed? What does the change signify?

[PaulT]

Run out of yellow bulbs - sorry :)

[Pickles]

[quote user="Daisy"]On a certain bend in France which has a set of traffic lights halfway round, there is usually a yellow light which flashes on the approach. The other day it was flashing red, why has it changed? What does the change signify?[/quote]

Presumably when you hae approached it in the past the main traffic lights have been on green and on this occasion they were on red? In which case it was just giving you early warning?

[idun]

I don't know about this certain bend in France, but I have seen flashing lights in France and treat them as warnings. Yellow and I take it as a general warning that I am approaching something and tend to slow down. Red, and I would drive with the greatest of caution, as there is probably a problem ahead.

What does it say in the Code de la Route, it has to be in there.

[Loiseau]

Welcome to the forum, Daisy.

Red lights, flashing or constant, normally mean STOP.

Could there be a clue in this paragraph from the Legifrance.gouv.fr website:

Un feu rouge clignotant ou deux feux rouges clignotant alternativement ou simultanément signifient que les véhicules ne doivent pas franchir le passage pour piétons s'il précède le signal et dans les autres cas l'aplomb du signal ou, lorsqu'elle existe, la ligne d'effet du signal ; ces feux ne peuvent être employés qu'aux passages à niveau, aux entrées de ponts mobiles ou d'appontements de bacs ainsi que pour indiquer l'interdiction de passer à cause de voitures de pompiers débouchant sur la route ou de l'approche d'un aéronef dont la trajectoire coupe à faible hauteur la direction de la route.

So is there anything like a pedestrian crossing, level crossing, swing-bridge, ferry-boarding, or the exit from a fire station, or danger from low-flying aircraft large or small?

Angela

[nomoss]

Did you notice any trains crossing the road there?

[Daisy]

No trains no fire stations etc. the traffic lights were green, I could see no reason for a red light. I wasn't speeding either as I always drive below the limit in town.

[JandM]

This reminds me of something that has baffled me at junctions with traffic lights. You sometimes see an illuminated cross on the other side of a junction, that might be red or green, but never seems to relate directly to the colour of the main lights. A few weeks ago I stopped at a red light and there was a cross shaped light opposite that was also red. When the main lights turned green the other light remained red, which made me feel I was jumping a red light. The only possible explanation I could think of that it was aimed at pedestrians, but that didn't really seem to make sense as the light was definitely orientated towards the traffic. Anyone know what this is?

[PaulT]

Isn't the EU wonderful, there are all these direcitives that member countries put in to Law. On a practical level would it not be a very valid safety thing to have the same road signs, lights etc in all member countries?

[nomoss]

[quote user="PaulT"]Isn't the EU wonderful, there are all these direcitives that member countries put in to Law. On a practical level would it not be a very valid safety thing to have the same road signs, lights etc in all member countries?[/quote]

- and all drive on the same side of the roads? Decided by majority vote, of course.

[NickP]

[quote user="JandM"]This reminds me of something that has baffled me at junctions with traffic lights. You sometimes see an illuminated cross on the other side of a junction, that might be red or green, but never seems to relate directly to the colour of the main lights. A few weeks ago I stopped at a red light and there was a cross shaped light opposite that was also red. When the main lights turned green the other light remained red, which made me feel I was jumping a red light. The only possible explanation I could think of that it was aimed at pedestrians, but that didn't really seem to make sense as the light was definitely orientated towards the traffic. Anyone know what this is?[/quote]

There is one of these in Vendome and it is on across roads where we turn left, I believe that it informs us that the on coming traffic has a red light against it, and that we can turn left safely. That's my interpretation, as when it is showing red oncoming traffic is indeed stopped. ( fingers crossed I'm right, as otherwise ;one day? [:D])

[PaulT]

Now, changing to all driving on the same side of the road would be an absolute nightmare. Sweden might have achieved it in 1967 but with a very small population spread out over a large area no problem.

On the basis that majority wins then it would be the UK changing. Can you imagine the little old lady or man of 90 - they have enough trouble driving on the left (when they remember) so changing to the right ooooh.

[nomoss]

Scotland plans to switch to driving on the right

[url]http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/01/scotland-driving-on-right-independence-road-scheme[/url]

However, they have a plan to make the transition easier.

The change will be made over a weekend.

Private cars will change over on the Saturday, and commercial vehicles will change over on the Sunday.[:-))]

[PaulT]

All important information is published on 1st April each year.