7 Dangers of Traffic Lights

Trevor Birch

Mr. Lashley

English 101

April 26, 2024

Dangers of Traffic Lights

Most of us know about traffic lights, we know what they are and how they function, but have you ever thought about how traffic lights can be dangerous? We’ve all seen or at least heard about someone running a red light and causing a crash, this is a problem that needs to be resolved. A lot of the time there are people who think that they can beat the yellow light, but this isn’t always the case. There are a few ways that we can solve this issue, for example keep the light yellow for longer, or even have cameras at intersections that automatically detect cars who run red lights and give them a ticket, and even V2I. Traffic lights are put up over intersections, they use the colors red, yellow, and green to control the flow of traffic. Red means stop, yellow means slow down, and green means go. It’s important that we take the time to study and learn more about traffic lights. Traffic lights are used in our everyday lives, but have any of us actually taken the time to get to know them?

Are traffic lights so important that we should take the time to learn as much as possible about them? The short answer is yes. Traffic lights are one of the many everyday objects that we take for granted. Almost every time that someone gets in a car and drives somewhere, they use traffic lights. Whether they allow us to pass through, or cause us to stop for a minute or so. Traffic lights often cause frustration for many drivers, for example when they are in a hurry and get stopped by a red light. What these drivers need to understand is that the light is red for a reason, it is protecting them. If these frustrated drivers would take the time to learn more about traffic lights then they would be more understanding when they are stopped at a red light. When drivers don’t want to wait at a red light they will try and run the light when it turns red, which can end up causing car crashes. If people knew more about how traffic lights worked then they would understand why they work the way they do, and they would understand that traffic lights aren’t only to make them late, but also to protect them and everyone else. There are a few different solutions to stop red light runners.

How does having a longer lasting yellow light reduce crashes at intersections caused by people running red lights? According to iihs.org, “ Adequate yellow time reduces red light running and leads to fewer crashes” ( Bonneson and Zimmerman 5). Studies have been taken that prove prolonging yellow lights reduce crashes (5). Having a longer yellow light allows the people who usually try and run red lights get through the intersection safely. The light stays yellow longer, which means the other directions on traffic still have a red light, which means that they won’t start driving while the red light runner is passing through. Having longer yellow lights is a smart way to reduce crashes at intersections, but it doesn’t punish those red light runners that cause the crashes. Longer yellow lights would teach them that it’s okay to run red lights, which isn’t the case. The main reason for longer yellow lights is to keep everyone on the road safe, including the red light runner. But is there a solution to this problem that punishes the red light runners?

There is a way to punish red light runners, but also keep the roads safer. Cameras are put at intersections that will detect a red light runner and then give them a ticket, this not only punishes the red light runner, but also is an incentive for them to stop running red lights. Cameras have been proven to reduce car crashes at intersections by 21% in large cities and 14% overall! One question a lot of people have is how does the camera give you a ticket? Well according to the NCSL,  progressive.com says, “ If a red light camera catches your car failing to stop, you will receive a letter in the mail, including photographs of your vehicle’s violation and your license plate and instructions for paying the associated fine or appearing in court” (IIHS 1). This explains how red light cameras work, and they are proven to reduce crashes at intersections. Giving tickets isn’t the only thing that these cameras do, these cameras can also control the color that is on the traffic light. If the camera detects a car running a red light, they will keep the light yellow for longer in order to protect all the drivers at the intersection. This is a great way to keep the roads safer from red light runners.

A third way to make traffic lights safer is to integrate vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication is a commutative technology that enables vehicles to communicate with traffic lights and receive real time signal information, this is what’s called V2I communication. Approaching vehicles can anticipate upcoming signal changes and adjust their speed accordingly, which reduces the likelihood of causing car crashes. The website its.dot.gov says, “ Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) is the next generation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). V2I technologies capture vehicle-generated traffic data, wirelessly providing information such as advisories from the infrastructure to the vehicle that inform the driver of safety, mobility, or environment-related conditions” (Zlotchenko). This is an amazing way to lower crashes and also to keep everyone safe at intersections, including pedestrians. What many people may now know is that traffic lights are specifically programmed to ensure the safety of pedestrians, this is another reason why people should take the time to learn more about traffic lights. Pedestrians have special signals at crosswalks that let them know when they can safely cross. This is why traffic lights not only protect drivers but also pedestrians. At some intersections there is a button that pedestrians push that will start a flashing yellow light that lets drivers know they need to stop because the pedestrians have the right of way.

All three of these solutions are great ways to make traffic lights safer, but the obvious best choice is V2I, this is such an advanced way of dealing with red light runners. It can adapt to many different situations in order to keep everyone safe. Red light cameras are still a successful solution to this problem, but maybe not the best. Out of these three solutions, prolonging yellow lights is probably the least effective solution. This is because they don’t punish red light runners, all they do is encourage the driver to continue to speed up when the light turns yellow. Making sure that traffic lights are as safe as possible is essential to keeping the roads safe, and the best way to do this is for drivers to learn more about traffic lights. The more drivers know about traffic lights, the safer the roads will be.

Works Cited

United States Department of Transportation. “Intelligent Transportation Systems.”

https://www.its.dot.gov/v2i/

Progressive. ” How do red light cameras work.” Progressive, 2023

https://www.progressive.com/lifelanes/on-the-road/red-light-cameras/

IIHS. “Red Light Running.” Bonneson and Zimmerman 2004

https://www.iihs.org/topics/red-light-running#signal-timing