Traffic study finds amber lights cause dilemma...

[Ian Perry]

Drivers know that green means go, red means stop and yellow means . . . "Can I make it?"

 

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati have studied four high-speed intersections. They found that at amber (yellow) lights, drivers' decisions about whether to proceed or stop were influenced by vehicle size, speed, choice of lane and length of signal phase. Traffic engineers base amber light time on average vehicle speeds. The longer the phase, the more likely that a motorist will decide to proceed. The amber light forms a “dilemma zone”, sometimes resulting in collisions. More:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2...