Girne Traffic Lights: Green Does Not Mean Go

In Girne, traffic lights are among the most trusted pieces of road infrastructure. Red means stop. Green means go. At least, that is the assumption. Insurance data tells a different story. A significant share of intersection-related damage occurs while the light is green, not red. The problem is not signal failure. It is assumed certainty.

Green creates permission.

Not safety.

Why Green Lights Create Hidden Risk

At signalized intersections in Girne:

• Drivers accelerate the moment the light turns green
• Attention shifts forward, not sideways
• Cross-traffic is assumed to be fully stopped

This assumption is fragile. Intersections are shared spaces where:

• Late yellow runners still clear the junction
• Pedestrians hesitate, then step back
• Vehicles from side roads misjudge timing

Green reduces caution precisely when caution is most needed.

The Typical “Green Light” Claim

Many intersection claims follow the same pattern:

• The light turns green
• The lead vehicle accelerates confidently
• A late vehicle or pedestrian remains in the intersection
• Sudden braking or evasive steering occurs
• Rear-end contact or side impact follows

Drivers often say:

“But I had green.”

That statement is true.

It is also irrelevant to the physics of reaction time.

Reaction Time Shrinks at Intersections

Intersections compress decisions:

• Acceleration shortens following distance
• Peripheral hazards appear late
• Braking distances are underestimated

When multiple vehicles start moving simultaneously, even a half-second delay compounds quickly. The risk is not speed. It is synchronization failure.

Turning Lanes and Mixed Signals

Girne intersections frequently combine:

• Straight-through traffic
• Left and right turns
• Pedestrian crossings

Drivers focus on their own signal, not on conflicting movements. A green arrow for one vehicle may coincide with a pedestrian still clearing the road or a turning vehicle hesitating.

These overlaps create hesitation points. Hesitation is where damage happens.

Insurance Perspective

From an insurance standpoint:

• Rear-end collisions at green lights are common
• Fault is usually clear but emotionally disputed
• Damage severity is moderate, frequency is high

These claims are rarely dramatic. They are structural, produced by how drivers interpret green as a guarantee rather than a condition.

Practical Driving Insight

When approaching a green light in Girne:

• Treat the first seconds as a caution zone
• Scan laterally before accelerating
• Expect at least one late movement in every cycle
• Avoid closing distance aggressively on green

Green lights do not remove risk.

They change its direction.

In Girne, many intersection accidents happen not because drivers ignore signals, but because they trust them too completely.