When you're in a hurry, sometimes it seems that you've hit every red light that exists on that part of town. The probability is that you have. Many towns have timed traffic lights to aid in the flow of the traffic pattern. To save time, frustration, and gasoline you need to learn how to time the lights.
Look at the green light ahead to begin timing the lights. Usually the traffic lights are timed to average speed and time. Find out the length of time that it remains green.
Clock the length of time that the light remains green. This amount of time shouldn't vary much from light to light on a single street. Using this time, you can begin to adjust your rate of speed.
Move slightly slower than the rate of speed. You could go faster, but that would be breaking the law. If you're is a mass of traffic, this is impossible anyway. Use the period of time that it took for the light to change to move from one light to the next.
Coast if you must. Rushing to the corner to stop only burns your fuel, and you get the same distance as you would have otherwise. If you're traveling on a relatively deserted street, coasting may allow you to flow through the light at the change. Resume the exact speed limit once you have managed hitting the green light.
Turn off on a side street and drive on a parallel street. If all else fails, moving off the street is a possibility. The change to the parallel street may give you just the right timing for its traffic flow.
Ignore the other drivers on your bumper. Once you've hit the flow pattern and proper speed, avoid the urge to speed up to please the guy riding your bumper. You'll just end up stopping anyway. Maintain the exact speed limit and you should hit every light green thereafter.
