Wednesday, August 7, 2013

LED traffic lights can not melt snow, ice

LED traffic lights can not melt snow, ice 


Road and Traffic Sign


  • Installation of traffic lights with LED light bulbs save municipalities money, but can also create a hazard for drivers because sometimes lights can not melt snow and ice that accumulate during inclement weather. 



  • LED bulbs use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and states like Wisconsin have seen savings of $ 750,000 per year. While incandescent bulbs must be replaced every 12 to 18 months, the LEDs installed seven years ago is still going strong, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 



  • Then we encounter situations in Illinois last April when 34-year-old Lisa Richter made a left turn and was hit by a driver coming the other way because the ice and snow obscure the light. Winter storms that cover the LED traffic lights have been blamed for dozens of accidents, as they have become more common in the last 10 years. 



  • At this point, the only solution of the state authorities is to send teams of the city, with air compressors to blow snow and ice off the lights dimmed (which kind of negates the money saving LED lights). Other states have begun to try other solutions like installing weather shields or adding heating elements like those used for airport runway lights. 



  • While waiting for a technological solution, however, drivers should try the lights dimmed in the same way they would broken traffic signal: Proceed with caution.

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