Please settle an argument
 

I'm being mocked in the office here for relating a driving tale where I described a traffic light being orange/amber.

Apparently, they're yellow over here. Back me up here.

Also, what's the sequence back in Blighty? Red, red-orange, green, flashing orange, red?

Re: Please settle an argument
 

Sorry, they're yellow here. :) The sequence is different, too. If it's green, you go. Then it changes to yellow, indicating that you can still enter the intersection using CAUTION; the last part of the sequence is red on which no entering the intersection is permitted and you must stop.

I have to say I was a little mystified during my first trip to the UK when my (now) husband was going on yellow all the time from a dead stop! Finally figured out the order is different.....

~SecretGarden

Re: Please settle an argument
 

It's amber. Amber and red mean stop, the only difference is if it would be dangerous to stop on the amber you can go through it. The sequence in the UK is red, red + amber, green then green, amber, red.

Re: Please settle an argument
 

I always called them Yellow or more likely Amber.

Sequence:

Red— this indicates that traffic must stop behind the line.

Red and Amber— this combination of bulbs indicates that the lights are about to change to green

Green— this indicates that traffic may pass through the junction, provided that it is safe to do so and the way is clear.

Amber— this warns traffic that it should stop unless it is unsafe to do so.

Re: Please settle an argument
 

According to Wikipedia, it's "officially amber". Make of that what you will.

As for the sequence, I think you've got it right, only I don't think there's a flashing amber light.

I'd have to go out and look though!

Re: Please settle an argument
 

I thought it was Red - Red/Amber - Green - Amber - Red.
When it's red/amber you know it's about to turn green, when it's amber you know it's about to turn red.
The lights seem to change more freqently and have shorter duration in the uk than here. That's what I find anyway.
I hate sitting at traffic lights, much prefer roundabouts.

Re: Please settle an argument
 

Sorry OF, they are called yellow lights here. They're even called that in the driver's license manuals. When in Rome and all that...

Re: Please settle an argument
 

I hate lights too; roundabouts all the way!

What I hate even more sometimes, are intersections without any lights. Everyone sits there for 10 minutes staring at each other.

Re: Please settle an argument
 

Might as well call it yellow now i think about it. Who uses amber apart from traffic lights? Plus we've got right turn on red here, which is pretty cool when you are driving (but lethal if you are walking).

Re: Please settle an argument
 

Well, my problem is it doesn't matter what color people call them, the light itself is not yellow! I've never seen one that has been yellow and I don't think I ever will, they are all amber.

Re: Please settle an argument
 

Oh, I don't have a problem with it; Rome is now home, after all. They just look orange to me.

I swear there is a yellow/orange flashing sequence in the UK too.

Re: Please settle an argument
 

I really hate it when you are trying to tell a really interesting story and you accidently slip in a bit of UK slang and everyone just laughs at you. It happens to me all the time. i'm just like "ok I said a funny word now shut up i'm trying to tell a story". But they are just "say that word again".

Re: Please settle an argument
 

At pedestrian crossings only, if memory serves......

Re: Please settle an argument
 

Belisha Beacons

Re: Please settle an argument
 

When the amber/yellow light is flashing you have to give way (yield) to pedestrians already on the crossing.....or something like that. It will then change to green after a few seconds.