No More Looking Up, Ground-Level Traffic Signals Are Here

This is definitely a sign of the times.  A few towns in Germany and Australia, are starting to test crosswalk signals ground-level for people walking while on their cellphones.  As a society we spend more time looking down and that’s causing problems for pedestrians and drivers.  This year alone has already seen a spike in traffic related deaths around the world, all because we’re more interested in what’s on Facebook/Snapchat rather than who’s speeding toward us.

“Pedestrians are less protected in a road crash, and are therefore more likely to be seriously injured or killed,” NSW Centre for Road Safety’s executive director Bernard Carlon said in a statement sent to AFP on June 2.

 

“This is why we need to create a road system that keeps them safe, and this includes situations when they may not be paying attention. The lights are aimed at pedestrians using mobile phones who are not looking where they are walking.”

There are a few ideas with the technology, one being red and green led lights at the crossing areas, or curbs that light up green and flash when it’s safe to walk.  Either one I’m down for if it means I can watch cat videos while walking around downtown, so I hope we start trying these out here in West Michigan.

Source: thestar.com