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Red light technology geared to stop collisions

MADISON (WKOW) -- A UW-Madison safety expert said new techonology holds promise of reducing red light violations and the danger they cause.

The technology is geared for situations, similar to Rep. Fred Clark's red light running earlier this month.   Clark (D-Baraboo) was cited for a red light violation after his SUV entered a Madison intersection and slammed into a bicyclist and significantly injured him.    The collision was captured by a Madison metro bus on-board camera, with the tape first shown on WKOW-TV Friday.

Co-Director David Noyes of the Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory said driver behavior in running red lights can be difficult to control.

But Noyce studied engineering technology to lengthen both green light and red light signals when a car approaches at an intersection at a certain speed and distance.

"And if we see a moving vehicle that's approaching the intersection and we know what's happening with the traffic signalization, if we know that the light's going to go red and this vehicle is approaching the intersection at a high rate of speed and is not able to stop, what the system would do is hold all the approaches in red, and allow this vehicle to clear,"   Noyes told 27 News.   Noyes said the system uses radar and sensor equipment to activate changes in signalization.

This technology is a variation of what's used by Madison fire personnel.   They have on-board technology to prolong green lights at intersections to allow ambulances and other emergency vehicles to safely speed through.

Noyce said the light-prolonging technology that is installed at intersections is being used in Texas.   "Our research is trying to make situations as safe as possible, so if there is a red light running situation, nobody gets hurt."

But as with other safety measures at intersections such as red light camera photo enforcement, engineering an intersection to detect approaching traffic speed and change signalization is more expensive than standard intersection controls.