STILL REQUIRED COUNTDOWN TIMER AT ROADSHIP?

In the last 2 decades, traffic lights that set the intersection are mostly equipped with a countdown timer. The tool mounted next to this lamp module shows (counters) the countdown time of green or red. The goal is that road users who are stopped immediately prepare to move when the green light is on. This is possible because road users know for sure when to start moving along with countdown on countdown timer.

In traffic management, on the intersection set with the Traffic Giver Tool (APILL) or traffic light, known as Lost Start, the street users experience a delay of moving a few seconds once the green light is on. Lost start occurs because the stop road user does not respond immediately when the green light is on, so the delay rate at the intersection will increase. With the help of countdown timer, this delay can be reduced by reducing lost start. In theory this concept is good and logical, but unfortunately not so in reality.

Road users in Indonesia, especially motorcycle riders are known to be very aggressive. Motors with small dimensions and very agile psychologically stimulate the rider to "maximize". Speeding, slipping on the sidelines of a vehicle, moving lanes at will, fighting direction is a common thing bikers do. Likewise, what happens at the signal intersection, the countdown counter is actually "used" by the motorist to quickly steal the start.

This phenomenon is in the spotlight. From several studies, the use of countdowns actually increases the number of traffic light violations. A few seconds before the red light was over, the biker was racing to race his vehicle without heeding the dangers that lurk. Obviously this increases the risk of accidents. A phrase says that accidents always begin with offense. If the number of violations increases then the probability of an accident must also increase.

A lecturer at the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Academy - Singapore, on one occasion once said that, countdown counters are more appropriate for crossers, not for vehicles. The consideration is that pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, so the countdown counters will help pedestrians pedestrians to hurry across the street. Perhaps if we translate, what does it mean that the decline in the number of delay is not significant compared to the costs that must be borne by the number of accidents. Maybe we should think together.