traffic light

13 Stories

Technology Could Phase Out Traffic Lights—or Add a Color

Researchers study options for safer flow of connected cars

(Newser) - As cars and trucks get smarter and more connected, the humble lights that have controlled the flow of traffic for more than a century could also be on the cusp of a major transformation. Researchers are exploring ways to use features in modern cars, such as GPS, to make traffic...

Your City May Not Permit Right-on-Red Turns for Long

More are looking closely at prohibiting the practice after spike in accidents with pedestrians, cyclists

(Newser) - A dramatic rise in accidents killing or injuring pedestrians and bicyclists has led to a myriad of policy and infrastructure changes, but moves to ban right-on-red turns have drawn some of the most intense sentiments on both sides, per the AP . The City Council in Washington, DC, last year approved...

AAA Puzzled by Sharp Rise in Red-Light Deaths

Deaths caused by motorists running red lights hits 10-year high

(Newser) - On average, more than two Americans are killed every day by drivers who plow through red lights, and the figure is growing, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The organization says that in 2017, the last year for which figures are available, the number...

You're Stopping at Traffic Lights Wrong
You're Stopping at
Traffic Lights Wrong
NEW STUDY
Nov 28, 2017 11:20 AM CST

You're Stopping at Traffic Lights Wrong

Drivers who stop bumper-to-bumper don't get through light any faster: study

(Newser) - Do you line up bumper-to-bumper when approaching a traffic light? Though driver training groups say it's a no-no likely to increase one's risk of a collision, researchers at the Virginia Tech College of Engineering say it's a "widely accepted" practice based on the idea that "...

Finally, a Traffic Light That Makes Driving Better

Artificial intelligence could be coming to a block near you

(Newser) - If you've ever called a traffic light "dumb," well, you're technically correct. Amidst the proliferation of smart devices, traffic lights have largely remained conventional, their colors changing based on preprogrammed timing that can go years without being adjusted. But there's a noteworthy exception, and it'...

Audi's New Cars Will Predict Green Lights

Feature will roll out in just a few cities this year

(Newser) - If you're the type that likes to gun the engine as soon as the traffic light turns green, you'll love Audi's new models: They include a feature that will alert drivers when a red light is about to change, Recode reports. The Germany company is first offering...

For Smartphone Zombies, a New Kind of Traffic Light

One German town takes action after a teen dies while distracted by her phone

(Newser) - It's only been a matter of weeks since a 15-year-old girl in Germany was hit, dragged, and killed by a tram while she was distracted by her smartphone and headphones, but the nearby city of Augsburg has decided to take action. Citing two similar, though not lethal, incidents of...

Stopping at Red Lights Is Bad for Your Health

Study: Intersections heavy with air pollution

(Newser) - If you already find it annoying to be forced to stop at a red light, we have unfortunate news for you: It's also bad for your health. A study out of the UK's University of Surrey and published in Atmospheric Environment finds that when drivers are stopped at...

Fla. Busts Guy for Protesting Traffic Light Cameras

He's been arrested for handing out fliers before

(Newser) - Don't like cameras enforcing traffic lights? Well, if you live in Apopka, Florida, you might want to keep that pet peeve to yourself. Mark Schmidter, 66, was out protesting the city's use of cameras on Saturday, handing out fliers to passing motorists with a petition on one side...

Los Angeles First Big City to Synchronize All Traffic Lights

But whether it will make a big dent in gridlock is unclear

(Newser) - Somewhere in a bunker underneath downtown Los Angeles works a guy named Edward Yu, traffic god. Yu runs the software that controls all 4,500 traffic lights in the city, explains the New York Times , and this is noteworthy because LA has become the first major metro area to sync...

LED Traffic Lights Efficient— But Can't Melt Away Snow

Bulbs blamed for bad-weather accidents across US

(Newser) - Cities around the country that have installed energy-efficient traffic lights are discovering a hazardous downside: The bulbs don't burn hot enough to melt snow and can become crusted over in a storm—a problem blamed for dozens of accidents and at least one death. "I've never had to put...

Accidents Drop After Town Pulls Traffic Lights

Germans fare better without crosswalks, curbs, and rules

(Newser) - Would life be better without stop lights? The people of Bohmte, Germany think so. The little town has not only removed traffic lights from its busy main drag, but curbs and crosswalks as well. All that’s left is one simple rule: Yield to the person on your right. It’...

Waiting for Green Has Gas-Conscious Seeing Red

Needless idling in turn lanes irks Calif. drivers

(Newser) - Though their safety value in heavy traffic isn't disputed, some Californians are starting to see left-turn arrows as a drag on ever-pricier gas and an avoidable threat to the environment, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The California Energy Commission estimates that idling for 2 minutes (often a needless waste of time,...

13 Stories