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 intersectio