In the old school days, traffic lights were required to use this sequence when changing.

red red+amber amber amber+green green

nowadays, its common to see a light that goes from red to green as if amber didnt exist at all. Traffic gets all excited, people kick down, and it gets a bit hectic really.

I Propose a new traffic light. Just one huge light that gradually turns from red to green through amber using a sopisticated LED sytem.
-- shinobi, Feb 23 2006

"but officer, the light was brown"
-- neilp, Feb 23 2006


//sopisticated LED sytem// There are dual-element LEDs which make one colour if current is passed in one direction and a different colour in the other direction. AC makes them switch colours so the eye sees a blend of the two colours. A constant AC component and a variable DC component would produce a gradual colour change.
-- spidermother, Feb 24 2006


This would be a huge problem for color blind drivers. The few I know have memorized which light is what color.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 24 2006


where in the world are you [shinobi]? I've never seen a straight red to green change of lights.
-- po, Feb 24 2006


It's red to green in Ireland (southern part)... but where I live we don't care what colour they are - we just drive through them, especially at 2 am, when stopping would be an invitation for a duel with a lump hammer wielding, drunken bone head.

2 Fries - what's wrong with Braille for the colour bind?
-- xenzag, Feb 24 2006


They can't tell what colors the bumps are.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 26 2006


There could be a changing marking above the light (like a number; 1 for go, 2 for stop) that would tell the colo(u)r-blind and everybody else when to go and when to stop. Otherwise, people will start going before they're supposed to, get in accidents, and spark court battles in which which witnesses argue whether it was "lime-green" or "orange-yellow."
-- jellydoughnut, Feb 26 2006


I don't really see the value of this. A traffic calming feature? It won't work for that.
-- zigness, Mar 03 2006


Too often people tend to anticipate the green light causing a collision with someone running the red at the last second. Now add to that the gradual change and people will be jumping into the intersection way too soon.
-- Jscotty, Mar 03 2006



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