Oswego, IL – Last April, the driver of a pickup truck approaching an intersection in the far western suburb of Oswego went past a red light obscured by snow and struck a 34-year-old woman turning left in her car.
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The woman died and four other people were injured in the accident, which was among the first to raise concerns here and around the Midwest about a relatively new driving hazard related to inclement weather: traffic signals, like those in Oswego, that use light-emitting diodes, known as LEDs.
The new lighting is part of a fast-growing trend in environmentalism. LED bulbs use less energy, last longer and are more visible than their predecessors. They are also known to require less maintenance. But they do not emit nearly as much heat as conventional bulbs, allowing snow and ice to accumulate more easily in certain conditions.
As winter storms roared through the country’s midsection and pummeled the East Coast, officials said they were on the alert for LEDs.
In Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and other states, special efforts are being made to ensure that the signals do not pose an undue threat to drivers.
“Do I think the accident would have happened if the light was not covered in snow?” said Detective Rob Sherwood of the Oswego Police Department, referring to the accident in April. “I’d be willing to bet that it would not have happened if the driver that went through the light had an unobstructed view of the signal. It was the first indication in this community that the LED lights were not melting the snow.
Read the full story at The NY Times
To environmentalists insects are more worth protecting than human life. This is the tragic result!
But a careful driver would not cross an intersection (at least not at full speed) if he does not have a clear view of the Green signal!
I don’t know… Here in FL, where we have storms that knock out power all the time everyone knows if you cant see the signal, the intersection needs to be treated as a 4 way stop… Actually I believe it is state law, why should this case be different?
Typical stupidity resulting from the “do gooders” of our generation. We are told to use these light bulbs but last longer but that’s a bunch of bull – min are ALWAYS burning out and at 5-7 bucks a piece, this is costing me a pretty penny.
And what happens if they bust???? You have to call HAZMAT because of all that mercury!!!
Environmentalists can all go to g’henim!
I don’t get it. Can’t the signal-makers put some sort of cap above the signal to prevent this from occurring? There is no reason to stop using LEDs just because they can’t melt snow, if there’s a better alternative.
They couldn’t even see if there was a traffic light at that intersection. Which normal person would drive through an intersection if the light wasn’t working? You guys got to think a little before you write your stupid comments.
The solution is not to get rid of LED bulbs. It is simply to build in a heating mechnism that is triggered in this type of weather. You don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.
I’m not envoirementalist, but lets use sechel here.