Oamaru drivers appear to have survived their first day of coping with traffic lights at an intersection in town, but there were some close calls.
Yesterday, traffic lights - one of a new set of five in central Oamaru - were switched on at the Eden-Thames Sts intersection, replacing a roundabout.
It is the first set of intersection traffic lights the town has had, and most motorists were not fazed by the experience.
Some failed to follow correct procedures and a handful were downright confused.
LJ Hooker's office is right on the corner, and staff had a good view of how the lights were working.
They did not see any accidents, but there were the sounds of some "close calls".
The Otago Daily Times spent about an hour yesterday morning watching the intersection after the lights were switched on and, generally, there were not many problems.
Traffic, especially from Eden St east, was moving more smoothly where there used to be congestion with the roundabouts.
However, some common faults observed were:-One woman driving south on Thames St who drove straight through a red light.
Pedestrians crossing Eden St east who did what they usually did - walked out on to the street without seeing or bothering about the green crossing light.
Motorists doing illegal U-turns on Thames St at the intersection.
Motorists not observing the right-turn light, especially those turning from Eden St.
Pedestrians stopping halfway across Thames St on the island, not realising they could continue crossing on the red flashing pedestrian light.
Some not going into the right-hand turn lane when wanting to turn right, then cutting across those who had waited in the correct lane.
Turning motorists getting stranded in the middle of the intersection when lights turned red.
Left-turning motorists not giving way to those turning right when the light changed to green.
The Thames St traffic lights, at the Severn-Coquet, Eden, Ribble, Usk and Ouse Sts intersections, are part of a $3.1 million safety improvement project on State Highway 1 by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
The other four sets of traffic lights will be switched on within the next four weeks.
They will all be synchronised and monitored from the Dunedin City Council's traffic control centre.
If contractors raise, or are made aware of, any problems resulting from the switching on of the first set of traffic signals yesterday, these concerns will be looked into.
The NZTA will carry out additional monitoring once all the sets of traffic signals are switched on because of the complexity around that operation.
The traffic signal components have been monitored, and will continue to be until all signals are visibly running smoothly.
They cannot be fully tested until the link to the Dunedin City system is established. This is being worked on.
Once running, a traffic signal specialist will monitor and refine their operation.
