Not-so "Future vehicle"... but pertaining to future of traffic problems (and/or accidents).

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosins...a01-307303.htm

 

I can see four cars at a four way stop and the all four drivers constantly tapping the button as if they were on jeopardy. all the while the stop lights at the intersection looking like christmas lights blinking away!

 

Here's a spot to pick one up for $299. Very tempting.....
The MIRT

 

Ah, it's cheaper just to run the red light...

 

I would buy one if it worked, but I am sure it doesn't. First off they admit it works in "most cities" Plus how would it know which light you want to turn green?

 

Its infrared, so probably the one closest to you. It would have limited range like a tv remote

 

i don't think it will work, the signals will be different, kinda like setting a strobe light with different patterns

 

If I'm sitting at a stop light, the light I would want to change would be across the street. Almost every other light at the intersection is closer than the one I would want to change.

 

the ad on that site says it will turn your light green, but it doesnt say anything about turning the other lights red.
Sounds fishy.

 

i'm surprised it's taken this long for one to even come out.

as far as changing lights, err... the lights aren't changed individually. the IR signal is picked up and sent to the control module for that INTERSECTION. i bet this thing works like a switch. if your light is red, you use it to send the signal and the intersection CM changes the lights. the idea being that if your light is green, you wouldn't need to use it. but if you do use it when your light is green, it will likely switch to red.

copish?

 

I would imagine it would cause plenty of accidents if the road lights perpendicular to yours are not changed to red.

 

Our local police dept. was testing a taffic light changing unit last year, some police cars had a small unit attached to the top of the light bar that could change taffic lights to green.

 

If they were capable of doing it, don't you think cops would be changing the lights during high speed pursuits to save lives?? Sounds fishy to me.

 

I believe what the system does it turns on when the cars emergency lights are actiavated, as the police car appoarchs an intersection the device turns all lights to red that way there is no traffic moving in the intersection, and makes the intersection safer to go through.