Eko traffic light concept, designed by Damjan Stanković, promises to reduce traffic accidents by including a countdown timer that indicates how much time is left before the light changes.
Countdown Stop Light Benefits
Less pollution/fuel consumption: Drivers can turn off their engines while they wait for the green light.
Less stress: Since you know exactly when the light will change, you can sit back and relax. No need to keep your foot on the gas.
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unDave
WOW, amazing, just amazing! Easy and simple, it’ll help avoid some common and stupid accidents… i know a good spot to put one of this!
-by unDave™
Dec 1st, 2009
Mista Koo
Well it is more than just a concept, a few traffic lights here in Saudi Arabia has a timer for both the red and green lights (although it is not integrated in the traffic light itself, it is a normal LED digital counter)
Dec 1st, 2009
Reilly
Interesting…
Dec 1st, 2009
Chad
Seems like people might be to watchful of the light and rush the intersection without checking for that last car that usually runs the yellow light on it’s way from pink to red. I do like the idea if used with caution, just had to be a naysayer. Perhaps they could build some delay into the transition from red to green.
Dec 1st, 2009
Getone
Like Saudi Arabia (a normal Led counter), Sao Caetano do Sul (a Brazilian city, near Sao Paulo)have this kind of ligths “just” about 10 years! lol
Dec 1st, 2009
Julie
That’s a really realy really cool idea
Dec 1st, 2009
unDave
Here in Mexico some of the new have a counter too, but for the “walking ppl”, not for the cars, this is some improvement indeed.
-by unDave™
Dec 1st, 2009
Aseem
Even in New Delhi.. we have actual timers beside traffic lights.. though there is a different kind of problem now..
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rs-10-lakh-spent-yearly-but-trafficlight-ti/407111/
Dec 1st, 2009
Ruhani Rabin
Actually, at Malaysia, most of the new township is using digit based counter … i think that is more effective..
Dec 1st, 2009
areyousure?
I can see it now. Brake and accelerator mashed in, engine straining to let loose as the stoplight count-down, counts down. Ready to unleash a cloud of burnt rubber when the light turns. Seeking the perfect reaction time in search of street dominance. Tick, Tick, Tick ….
Dec 2nd, 2009
Final
they should add one for the green light too
Dec 2nd, 2009
John
Nice. Gives roads a sort of ‘race’ feel while waiting at the red. But Ruhani, Aseem and some others have very valid points. In terms of efficiency vs aesthetics, the former will fail to deliver.
Dec 2nd, 2009
Hillie
We have this concept in Groningen, Holland for pedestrian lights. It works great. When you know how long you have to wait it doesn’t seem that long.
Dec 2nd, 2009
Sean Duran
Even with this “innovation” traffic lights aren’t intelligent enough. I propose they all be placed on a network that can manage the flow of traffic automatically.
How often are you just sitting there at a light with no one else around? The days of timers and sensors are done. This is backwards ingenuity.
Dec 2nd, 2009
cozo
interesting and good looking design, but not a good idea at all.
the problem is that people want to get from A to B as fast as possible, and they don’t care much for their or others safety. just check the traffic accidents rates of the countries that implemented this kind of systems. plus they’re hard and expensive to maintain.
Dec 2nd, 2009
puffin
This is absolutely brilliant, but this could also prevent accidents if it were to be applied to the green light aswell. That way the orange light wouldn’t be a guess anymore.
Dec 2nd, 2009
Chris
I like the concept.
Not sure I agree with turning the engine off for pollution reasons as this can create more damage to the environment and the car plus potentially someone creating more queues from not being able to start their car again.
I don’t think this would stop me being annoyed late at night when i’ve had to stop for no cars and when one appears none of us are moving. Clearly bad planning by the town however, we all know of these situations.
Dec 2nd, 2009
j
almost all chinese cities uses a countdown with number displays
Dec 2nd, 2009
Stella Gassaway
Doesn’t stop mean stop and go mean go?
I understand timers for pedestrians to protect them crossing wide streets so not to get caught somewhere in between. But traffic lights have a clearer message it’s an on/off switch stop/go. Not get ready to go. The yellow light already encourages people to speed up.
A countdown – is a race to the accelerator. Interested to know what test use reveals. Crazy.
Dec 2nd, 2009
jy
Nice, but not useful.. I prefer the countdown with numbers – not so good-looking, but it’s easier to see it from far ;)
Dec 2nd, 2009
JK
Yes, even here in Pakistan, a lot of traffic lights have timers. Not a new thing. (Though a circular timer like one shown here would be much cooler than a regular digital timer.)
And I also think that it doesn’t really help avoid accidents, its just there because its cool :D
Dec 2nd, 2009
Kelsey
This would be a nice change to the old boring red light. Not really sure if it would really change people’s driving habits.
I’ve seen where there is a countdown with digital numbers on the yellow light to let drivers know how much time they had before the light turned red. The idea was meant to reduce traffic accidents but it actually increased the number of people trying to ‘beat the light.’
Dec 2nd, 2009
Greg
This is an awful idea. People wouldn’t turn there car off at lights, and if they did, it would cost more fuel to start up an engine every few minutes. This would also encourage street racing. This blog usually has cool stuff, but this is an awful idea.
Dec 2nd, 2009
Eric J
This is cute, but I have to second everyone above who listed it as a danger. Drivers in Portland immediately started using “crosswalk” timers to start gunning their engines for take-off.
Lovely design though.
Dec 2nd, 2009
charlie
You know how much changing one light would cost? Its a cute idea, but not worth the millions it would cost to change a few city lights.
Dec 2nd, 2009
Demetrius
“…And, in other news: accidents related to drag racing have reached an all time high after the installation of countdown traffic lights.”
There is already an indicator that the light is about to turn red – the *yellow* light. A countdown to a green light is just asking for trouble. (Besides, who *really* turns off their engine at a red light?)
Dec 2nd, 2009
Well
well.. this isn’t a new concept. There are a lot of countdown like that at brasil and others countrys.
Dec 2nd, 2009
michael
the (new) concept is in the design, not the idea
Dec 2nd, 2009
thatisocool
but it’s still a pretty cool concept anyway
Dec 3rd, 2009
fish
They have the countdown timer in Indonesia too, and everyone just starts to honk when it’s 5 more seconds to go.
Dec 3rd, 2009
Ivan
Hello!!!!
Are you listening what are you speaking about? Someone invented LCD version already so this is not new? Did people said that when they invented digital watches? Sorry but someone invented watch, your digital one is not that big deal.
It’s not something that’s new as invention – it’s “redesign of timers on traffic lights”, get over “we have lcd counters”
And btw I thikn this is more into ecology then car accidents prevention – turning off car when you know you are going to wait a lot reduce emission of carbon monoxide by huge margin, just think about it too.
Dec 3rd, 2009
benny c
No this isn’t good, this is crazy!! In Australia at least this just gives a count down for people to take off!! Think of two young drivers next to each other, waiting to take of and how having a countdown to drive off as fast as they can! racing will become more common and therefore accidents will increase. Clever for pedestrians but not for drivers.
Dec 3rd, 2009
SillyBug
Not visible enough. One would not be able to distinguish 3 ticks from 5 ticks from a distance. Besides, who will actually count what they see? Digital counters that already exist are visible from afar, are useful for both drivers and pedestrians, and provide instant info by using numbers.
Dec 3rd, 2009
Thomas
At first glance I find it quite brilliant, but after some thinking I’d say it’s only suitable for pedestrians and not cars. The argument about cars turning of their engines while waiting for the green light is kind of dumb. Read somewhere that cars pollute a lot more when they start compared to let them run for the little amount of time that the red light is on. I might be wrong here.
Dec 3rd, 2009
Bill Turner
Chad said: “Seems like people might be to watchful of the light and rush the intersection without checking for that last car that usually runs the yellow light on it’s way from pink to red.”
I agree. I agree with all those that think this is not a good idea. People WILL use it for drag racing. People WILL watch this rather than to check for light runners (not just yellow’s, there seems to have been a huge growth in red runners, and stop sign runners over the past decade here in Minneapolis).
Two things would improve safety.
1) Traffic cameras. People hate these precisely because they get caught. They claim it could be anyone driving their car. True, but if so, they loaned it to an irresponsible driver and, thus in my opinion, should be responsible. Also, if you loan your car to someone who parks illegally, you are still responsible for the ticket. So, quit whining and encourage this change if you really want safety at traffic lights.
2) By far the most effective device for improving intersection safety is the roundabout. People are more cautious when they enter (and exit). As an added benefit, traffic moves faster overall, making the commute more energy efficient. I would advocate replacing a large portion of urban traffic lights with roundabouts. I am less sure about the high volume, multi-lane intersections, though there are probably plenty of examples of those as well.
Dec 3rd, 2009
Don
We have that allready; but not with that thing; but an countdown under the light, but I think people with a bad sight can`t see it well.
Dec 4th, 2009
Chungket
In Vietnam, we have using countdown trafic light years ago. We made big number countdown in red and green LED light. I think it esier for all people to know how long they’d have to wait.
Dec 4th, 2009
Lame
I can do way better and safe GAS and Money.
Dec 4th, 2009
mustangmike
This light sounds great!
If you see a 1990 Saleen Mustang sitting at a light around Dayton, Ohio. that sounds like a prostock car and has a smell of nitromethane and nitrous………
Watch the front tires go 3 feet in the air when the light counts down to green!
see ya on the streets
my horse eats rice!
import-tuning is a chrime and might get you on to catch a predatore…..lol
Dec 6th, 2009
CrazyGentleMan
This really a very good idea, thnkx 4 it.
Dec 6th, 2009
Xiara
Wow! Simple yet beautiful. Clever, useful design. I hope that one day they will start using them in Belgium…
Dec 9th, 2009
umYeah
Wow, I can’t believe how many people think that restarting a car wastes more gas than idling. Conservative estimates put the cost of starting a car equal to 10 seconds of idling, but in many cars it is less. Turn off your engine, and you will save gas.
Dec 9th, 2009
Rebekah
Now only if they brought the concept to the U.S.!
Dec 19th, 2009
Filip
Look at Denmark they have countdown already! nothing new when i was in Copenhagen
Dec 21st, 2009
James Anzalone
@Chad Most, if not all traffic lights that I have encountered already use a delay function, so that at the point right before a light turns green all lights are red for a few seconds at an intersection (too account for those late passers)..
Jun 7th, 2010
J. Randazzo
This concept was used successfully decades ago. I can’t remember where it was, but it was used only to count down from caution to red in order to eliminate the impulse to accelerate or suddenly brake to avoid the red light. You could see in advance whether or not you had time to get across the interwection. The objections I can foresee are expense, and loss of revenue due to decrease in traffic fines. Let’s be realistic about it. It is not about safety. It is about revenue.
May 1st, 2012