The Cure for Red Light Blues?

[Carl242]

Is it just me, or does your Smart have a hard time triggering the red light to turn green at an intersection where you are the only one stopped? I find myself having to watch cycles of green lights for everyone but me until someone pulls up behind and triggers the magnet. Well that guy on YouTube who hacks everything has come up with a cure--neodynium iron borite magnets! Anyone tried this?

YouTube - Trigger Green Traffic Lights

[jefferios]

I haven't had an issue...the lights are so sensitive here they actually detect me when I am on my Bicycle.

[fpage77]

I have never tried such a thing. I thought it sensed weight but guess I was wrong. I thought the speakers for radio have that type of magnet in them already.

[NCC1701]

In most cities a vehicle is detected by an inductive loop under the pavement.
An 1800+ pound (mostly steel) smart should have no trouble being detected.

But, I've heard the sensitivity is adjustable and maybe the light which is giving you trouble needs a tweak??
HowStuffWorks "How does a traffic light ...
I've never had any trouble tripping lights in my smart. Long ago I had a moped, and learned to trip them with it by pulling up slow and steady over the loop.

I don't think I'd want any super magnets suspended under my car picking up road debris.

[John_H]

Check out a previous discussion:

How to make your car detected by stop lights

[burtandnancy]

About 10% of the signals in my neighborhood/work will not work for my smart which requires me to run a lot of red left turn arrows...

[NeWave]

Never had a problem around here with mine...

[forestacademy]

If your having a regular problem let the municipality know so they can tweek it. If your having problems so will Motorcycles.

[shark]

It's worth a try. I have 2 lights here where I live that my smart will not trigger. If someone pulls up behind me they trigger or if I'm in another vehicle there is no problem.

[JimDantin]

The sensing technology is pretty robust, but the installations can be damaged by lightning or other issues. It's probably poor adjustment of the sensitivity -- call and report it. As noted previously, the sensors are inductive and are triggered by the metal of the vehicle - not the weight. They are sensitive to where you drive over the loop, so try moving a little left or right so you drive over the side of the loop.