Some, if not most of us will have encountered this scenario before, be it as the driver of the vehicle at the front of the queue, or as the one somewhere behind the vehicle that is first in line. The driver of the vehicle arrives at a traffic light that has just turned red, and so they are the first in the queue.
Perhaps it is a time of scorching sunlight at that time of day, as the case often is in our climate, and they have, in fact, stopped their vehicle some distance short of the white line to be stopped in a shadow, or it was a moment of inattention. Traffic from other directions at this junction has had their turn twice, maybe more, and the first driver – and everyone else behind them – continues to wait.
Why has the cycle of green lights passed them by? In stopping their vehicle some way short of the white line, they have unknowingly evaded the inductive loop detector that is located beneath the road surface, where the first vehicle in the queue would be.
An inductive loop detects large, heavy metal objects such as vehicles, and without vehicles above the inductive loop, the system that triggers a different traffic light cycle will not know to let traffic through.
Also note that in the images we have taken here, the inductive loops on two of the three lanes on this road shown are transversely oriented. If you are driving a considerably smaller car, or if you are on a motorcycle and you have overshot the loops – easier to do when said loops are transverse, and therefore occupy a shorter length in the direction of travel – there is a possibility that said loop will not be able to detect your vehicle, and let you through with a green light. So, being too far forward is no good, either.
Hopefully this has shed some more light on why a traffic light cycle doesn’t work the way we think it should. When you are driving the first vehicle in the queue at traffic lights, be sure to position yourself close enough to the front for detection.
Conversely, if you are stuck behind the vehicle in front, perhaps a couple of short beeps on the horn will suffice. Maybe a gentle wave of a hand to help signal to them. Don’t lean on your horn for too long, though, for that could have played a part in a much more animated kind of interaction.
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Sometimes I do question if that sensor is working properly or not. Noticed a few times where even though a vehicle is on it everyone in the queue misses a turn as the first vehicle was not detected.
The no-car count down timer resets every time it detects a car on the loop detector until a maximum time is reached. So if the gap in between cars is too big (few seconds apart), it will turn red before the maximum time.
The government should change the sensor to thermal infrared for more accuracy
hello this is the best type of system, it is what is used in Germany and Europe. not even all states in the USA has this. in SEA only SG and MY using this system everywhere. If you’re in Subang Jaya or Petaling Jaya or Klang valley in general this type of lights are everywhere
ah boy, don’t simply tembak . Explain what is Thermal infrared please. I am in this industry and I know about all these vehicle detection sensors. Don’t make me laugh ah boy.
Malaysia loop detector sensor at traffic light when spanking new, all working fine. But when got hit by lightning all these are horribly ill equipped with inadequate protection. After that, loop sensor failed. Maintenance company also never fix and eventually the traffic light becomes a fixed timetable traffic light. Even best when Unifi buat project korek suka hati sini sana, some of the sensor got damaged. And even best when re-tar job are given to unqualified companies, some got buried and sensor connection got cut off. These are your typical Malaysia traffic light tragic life story, a no maintenance culture. On another note, if you know a traffic light that still has it’s loop sensor still working, don’t try your luck to make it if you see it still green from afar, as soon as no vehicle is detected usually set around 2-3s (depending on settings), it will turn red. You might end up in a dangerous situation.
How about motobike or bicycle waiting there?should they wait in the middle of the sensor ring? ahahaha…wait until some accident happen then..
Agreed… dangerous for motorcycle or bicycle to stop in the middle of sensor. Car will simply drive over them.
No need to be exactly on the center of the loop. A bit touch at the side more than adequate. Bicycle might not be enough to trigger.
the system ignore the motorcycles/bicycle due to size and weight. im not sure if the system here were made for motorcycles/bicycle
Many times the sensor is not effective at all. Even though there was no car on the opposite side, it still went to green. Why can’t they use the same thing like how they do it in Ipoh. I realize that in Ipoh, their sensors is much better and more effective. No need to stop on a certain square.
Obviously the person that design the sensor never pass their driving exam properly.
lol they have it all over Europe. dont blame the implementation, blame your uneducated brain
These loop sensor has never detected me when i am riding. I am fine to wait a bit longer if i saw a car coming from behind in my side mirror. What to do if no car comes after i miss 3 cycle? I’ll be honest….i jumped the red light few times. Its nonsense.
Anyway now i can see more traffic light using camera type sensor and its much2 better than this loop sensor. Minot movement is deteced and the camera sensor small led changes colour to show it detecs u.
This only works if the damn sensors is placed slightly further at the back instead of so far close to the white line.
Conversely, if you are stuck behind the vehicle in front, perhaps a couple of short beeps on the horn will suffice
Later they come down with steering lock and baseball bat and golf clubs then die already lo
These sensors have been around since I was a school way back in the 70s
I think government should change the location of the sensor a bit further back. Many drivers are unaware that they need to drive up really close to the stop line to trigger the detection. I don’t blame them because many years ago, most sensors were placed about 5-8 feet away from the stop line.
Maybe the patch of road surface, where the computer managed sensor loops are embedded, be painted green in color?. Then raise awareness on this until drivers are automatically placing their car on top of these green green patches.
when i was in the USA, some 30 years ago, they already use the loop sensors to not only change the lights but also to manage traffic flow. i wonder if the engineers in malaysia even care about traffic flow control. i tried to propose to some Majlis Perbandaran regarding the traffic control using loop sensors and plc, but i guess they were expecting some undertable to get the ball rolling. not from me, if thats what they want.
Most traffic light sensor in Terengganu are useless
Those are copper loops that’s supposed to identify vehicle class. There should be multiple loops in each lane that’s meant to measure length between front and rear axles of a vehicle to determine vehicle class i e. motor cycle, trailers, car, etc..it’s a counting mechanism. It merely counts
Ai and 5g. Smart traffic light? No?
In Jitra Kedah, the tr@ffic ligHt in front of one grave yard would change to green when no one is at that junction…I think there’s no loop sensor there.
Just go old school and put a pressure sensor strip across the road a couple of car lengths before the traffic lights. When vehicles run over it, even motorbikes and bicycles, the traffic light system knows there are vehicles there. Problem solved. All these new fangled sensors which need the vehicles in a particular position only complicates things.
I would like to point out the the loop needs only a metallic object to pass over it for sensing n activation n does not require the vehicle to stay on top of it.