I've already seen likely malfeasance from the traffic overrides used to help emergency vehicles (in the US) control traffic lights. When the override is activated, a white light turns on near the traffic light. I've seen that go on in heavy traffic when there were no obvious emergency vehicles present.
Another time I was in heavy traffic and held up for about an hour because a parked police car had left their traffic light override turned on, causing the light not to cycle.
Ideally the lights would have cameras and report themselves. FWIW, this was a temporary set of lights for roadworks in the middle of the Welsh countryside with little or no mobile signal.
It's relatively common for road maintenance crews in rural areas to install temporary signal lights during major projects. For example when they close one lane on part of a two lane road so traffic can only move in one direction at a time while the drivers going the other direction have to wait a few minutes.
Then the crew changing the lights would need a second checklist. The chance that they apply that wrong one to a regular intersection is not negligible.
I only found out about these a few months ago because there was always a cop leaning against one outside a ballpark before and after games with a radio plugged into it.
I asked what he was doing and he gladly showed me that he was just manually cycling the lights, basically on a longer delay where required to clear jams and work with another cop directing traffic.
I've always wondered how you handle those lights at night, if you can't see the enclosure; and how you handle the occasional horizontal traffic light, which my town has one of.
> Cars can spot them as they drive and try to run yellows more often
They can also be used to avoid panic stops. I watch them and begin braking if the light will turn yellow before I enter the intersection. Safer an less stressful.
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