Federal Hwy Admin Rebuked for Inadequate Safety Standards for Signalized Intersections

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 19, 2012 - Waunakee, WI – November 19, 2012: Every day millions of U.S. drivers risk serious accidents caused by traffic signals with yellow-light timings that are set too short.

That is why the National Motorists Association (NMA) has sent an urgent appeal to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) head Victor Mendez to change current federal guidelines by mandating acceptable yellow-light durations. In a letter dated Nov. 15, the NMA cited specific safety benefits of setting proper traffic signal
cycles.

“Short yellow lights force many responsible motorists to make split-second decisions that can lead to unwarranted traffic tickets, or worse, intersection collisions,” said NMA President Gary Biller.  “The current federal guidelines on yellow-light durations consist of inadequate recommendations, not proven engineering requirements.”

The NMA letter highlighted a study that determined a one-second increase in the yellow-light interval reduced intersection collisions by 40 percent. The letter also pointed to an example of a major U.S. city that is deficient in its yellow-light intervals by one second because of inadequate guidelines by the FHWA.

In addition, red-light camera operators use this national standards deficiency to set yellow-light times that frequently don’t give drivers enough time to stop as the traffic light turns from yellow to red.