Lights out

Traffic lights are getting a makeover with the emergence of new technology.

The traditional red, yellow and green lights are being replaced by digital counters with zero as the signal to go or stop.

North Carolina State University associate engineering professor Ali Hajbabaie is predicting the addition of white to the tricolor traffic light.

“When we get to an intersection, we stop if it’s red and we go if it’s green, but if the white light is active, you just follow the (autonomous) vehicle in front of you,” Hajbabaie told the Associated Press (AP).

University of Michigan civil engineering professor Henry Liu agrees, saying the changes could come sooner than later because of artificial intelligence and the introduction of self-driving cars, AP reports.

In Oakland, California, the change in the traffic light system was different due to new technologies.

People were stealing copper wires from electrical boxes powering traffic lights. The lights turning on and off posed hazards to motorists.

One local, Mason Young, cited a recent accident at one intersection due to a tampered traffic light, Fox News reports.

Addressing the problem, the city has removed the traffic lights at the busy intersection and replaced it with stop signs.

Young described the move as a Band-aid solution. Oakland officials said it was temporary until the traffic lights were restored.