Waiting More Than 3 Seconds Can Lead to Green Light Rage

According to a new survey, it takes motorists just three seconds to get out of the way when the light turns green.

In the study, of nearly 2,500 drivers, nearly half (46 percent) said the driver in front of them should take no more than three seconds to respond. 

More than one-third (35%) were comfortable with four to six seconds, and only 7% were willing to wait as long as others needed.

Three seconds of frustration

The level of frustration felt by drivers is relatively even. Overall, 46 percent said they were annoyed by having to wait, while 54 percent said they were unmoved. Younger drivers are more likely to become impatient. 

About 44 percent of respondents said they waited more than 15 seconds because the driver in front of them didn't notice the light was on. 64 percent said they were stuck for more than 10 seconds.  

Nearly one in five (17%) respondents said that the inattentiveness of the driver in front of them often prevented them from getting through a set of traffic lights. 

Men were more likely to be frustrated, with 50 percent saying they were angry - compared to 41 percent of female respondents.

Are smartphones the culprit?

Nearly three-quarters of drivers (72%) blame it on drivers simply not paying attention. However, 40 percent believe the problem is caused by drivers illegally checking their phones at stoplights.

While three seconds is obviously a short amount of time, when you're desperately trying to get through a set of traffic lights and the person in front of you is taking forever to get through, anything longer than that can start to seem like an eternity. Go. When you consider that some lights only stay green for 15 seconds, this can severely limit the number of vehicles that can pass before the red reappears, which in turn can make congestion - and perhaps even air pollution - worse.

The fact that this is a widespread problem means that too many drivers - for whatever reason - apparently aren't paying enough attention to what's happening around them while they're standing still at the light. In addition to increasing travel time, this can have an impact on road safety - especially when people suddenly realize the light has changed and then rush off without properly checking their mirrors and making sure everything around them is clear.