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Midwest Seeing Red Over 'Green' Traffic Lights

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the do-you-see-what-i-see dept.

theodp writes "Many municipalities have switched to LED traffic signals because they burn brighter, last longer and use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. But they also emit less heat, meaning they sometimes have trouble melting snow, causing problems across the Midwest. In Wisconsin, snow blanketed LED traffic lights in some towns, leading to crashes at intersections where drivers weren't sure whether to stop or go. The unintended consequences of the green technology were also identified as a 'contributing factor' in the death of an Illinois woman hit by a driver who blamed the snow-covered energy-efficient signal for giving the appearance of a normal green light instead of a left-turn signal. 'We can remove the snow with heat, but the cost of doing that in terms of energy use has not brought any enthusiasm from cities and states that buy these signals,' said the CEO of an LED traffic-signal manufacturer. 'They'd like to be able to take away this issue, but they don't want to spend the money and lose the savings.' In the meantime, some towns are addressing sporadic problems by dispatching crews to remove snow or ice from signals using poles, brooms, and heating devices." We were discussing these recently at the office — several folks in the building are red/green color blind and different street lights are differently distinguishable.

5 of 839 comments (clear)

  1. Too bad we don't have rules to deal with this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh that's right... we do! If you get to an intersection and the light isn't working or isn't visible, you treat it like a four-way stop.

    1. Re:Too bad we don't have rules to deal with this by nschubach · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I thought of this, but in the snow cover situation, only one side thinks it's a four way stop. You'd have to have a "snow sensor" and shut down all 4 sides of the light for that to work.

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
  2. Good Advice by Frigga's+Ring · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In Wisconsin, snow blanketed LED traffic lights in some towns, leading to crashes at intersections where drivers weren't sure whether to stop or go

    If you're not sure to stop or go, the answer is "stop". I can understand if it's dark and you don't see the traffic lights because they're covered with snow, but if the lights at the intersection aren't working, that doesn't mean the light is green. It means stop and go when it's safe to.

  3. Re:whatever happened to being careful? by BobMcD · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This kind of comment is harmful on many levels...

    1) Being 'stupid' is subjective.

    2) Classifying large groups of people as 'stupid' is divisive and elitist

    3) Labeling this behavior as 'stupid' implies both an acceptance of the inability to change it AND an implicit protection from the consequences of their behaviors

    If you really do think a portion of the 'US of A' is 'stupid', please do us all a favor and stop saying so. You're only perpetuating the problem when the truth is the vast majority of adults are 'smart' enough to operate an intersection correctly.

  4. If ND doesn't have this problem... by The+Rizz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I live in North Dakota, we've had these LED traffic lights for years, and I cannot remember the last time I saw one totally snowed up. The shields that curve over the top of the traffic lights here do an adequate job of keeping the snow from coating the signals - including during the 3-day blizzard we had last week (I had to drive in it each of those 3 days, so trust me - they worked).

    If they're not working in other states, than either their storms are somehow worse than ND's, or they've cheaped out on the snow shields that go over the top of the lights. I know which one I'd put my money on...