Traffic lights turn red faster due to smartphones

Stand still to get the green light

Are cars that stay at a green traffic light for a long time really making the lights turn red faster again? Often yes. Belgian research shows that smartphones are often the culprit.

Using a smartphone, drivers sometimes notice later that the traffic light is green. As a result, there is a gap between it and the vehicle ahead, which causes the sensors on the road surface to make an incorrect estimate. The detection loops for traffic lights are confused by hesitant motorists, as was already cleared up during a Belgian investigation. A spokesperson for the Road and Traffic Agency said, “The sensors think they are less busy than they actually are, so they jumps to the red again.” No problem for a slow motorist himself, as he can often drive through orange. But for the cars behind it.

In Belgium, 99 percent of all intersections have, among other things, detection rings or cameras to indicate traffic on the road, and in the Netherlands as well, the majority of all intersections are equipped with detection devices. Connecting when driving in front of a traffic light may not immediately aid your progress in traffic, but it does help the people waiting behind you and also improves traffic flow.

Brian Rodriguez

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