New Utah Traffic Lights Can Better Detect Cyclists

    In Utah, systems are installed that really determine the presence of cyclists at the intersection. Special equipment sends signals that are capable of detecting any sizeable object, and not just those made of metal.

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    Matt Lucker of the State Transportation Department said modern bikes were rarely defined by older systems. Old systems were designed specifically for the recognition of metal objects, and current bikes do not always have metal in their construction. Therefore, cyclists had to stop at intersections and wait until the green light from a passing car lights up, or they had to get off a bicycle and manually press a button to light up green. The most impatient could commit some unsafe actions such as driving on red, etc.



    With the new two-wheel rider system, you need to stop at the intersection line at the traffic lights as close as possible to the drawn image of the bicycle in the lane, if any, on the road. It is usually applied in the middle of the strip.

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    The new system gives cyclists more time to cross the intersection. So, a similar system, installed in the California Pleasanton in 2011, was designed for 14 seconds for cyclists and only 4 seconds for cars.
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    The developers claim that the new system is resistant to any weather conditions and can be easily adapted to any changes in the road network.

    Photos Mori Kessler, St. George News

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