Perspective
A Bright Idea for Road Safety: Traffic Light Timing
Cities that adjust stoplight cycles to emphasize safety can curb dangerous driving without racking up big costs or triggering pushback from motorists.
A traffic light at work near downtown Chicago.
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images North AmericaQuick quiz: When you picture something that makes streets safer, what image first pops into your head?
Perhaps you’re thinking of a speed hump, an automatic traffic camera or the narrowed lanes known as a road diet. Fair enough; each of these is an effective way to reduce collisions.