Traffic Light Idea Revisited
A few months ago I posted this traffic light idea which would grab the attention of all drivers and assist the colorblind. As it turns out, colorblind lights actually exist right here in Canada! The distinct shapes were put to use, and as you can see it looks effective.
I’d still like to use the octagon for the stop shape - such an established icon. But then again the shape may look circular at a distance, which is why I added the white outline. I also made the octagon significantly larger in the previous post - something I should have carried over here (oops).
Thought I’d take the concept a bit further and add animation to the light process. I feel a pulsing green conveys motion, and would perhaps grab the attention of drivers who would otherwise wait for someone behind them to honk to get going.
Also added a white outline blink at the start of the stop sequence, to add emphasis to stopping. It would be as though the light was exclaiming “HEY STOP!”. Originally I wanted the white outline to have a slow blink throughout the red light duration to convey a ‘please wait’ tone, but I figured some drivers would mistake this for the red light ending and jump the gun as a result.
Obviously animations in traffic lights aren’t new, with turning or crosswalk lights blinking. This system would compliment the standard traffic light procedure, which would help increase driver awareness.
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Posted on November 19, 2011, in Cars, Safety and tagged Automotive, Safety. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Around here (Texas, USA) we have some intersections (in high-pedestrian areas) with a crosswalk countdown. If they have, let’s say, 25 seconds to cross with the traffic, the first 10 count down while displaying the white ‘walking-man’ symbol. The next 15 seconds count down as the red ‘stop hand’ blinks.
Now, because the crosswalks are usually syncronized with the corresponding traffic lights, I am such a huge fan of the timers, because a quick glance tells you exactly how long you have before the light turns yellow. No more hesitation when it ‘suddenly’ turns yellow. By the time you can see the countdown, you can determine whether you’re going to make it through the intersection in time, and adjust your speed accordingly to speed up or slow down, based on the remaining time, your current speed, and the distance you are from it.
Square, Triangle. Circle. Yeah that’s adequate, compared to the near-impossible task of determining top, middle and bottom - the method currently used by the colorblind.