%0 Journal Article
%T A Workable Solution for Reducing the Large Number of Vehicle and Pedestrian Accidents Occurring on a Yellow Light
%A Pranav Gupta
%A Silki Arora
%J Journal of Transportation Technologies
%P 82-87
%@ 2160-0481
%D 2024
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/jtts.2024.141006
%X Traffic intersections are incredibly dangerous for drivers and
pedestrians. Statistics from both Canada and the U.S. show a high number of
fatalities and serious injuries related to crashes at intersections. In Canada,
during 2019, the National Collision Database shows that 28% of traffic fatalities
and 42% of serious injuries occurred at intersections. Likewise, the U.S.
National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) found that about 40% of the
estimated 5,811,000 accidents in the U.S. during the year studied were
intersection-related crashes. In fact, a major survey by the car insurance
industry found that nearly 85% of drivers could not identify the correct action
to take when approaching a yellow traffic light at an intersection. One major
reason for these accidents is the ¡°yellow light dilemma,¡± the ambiguous
situation where a driver should stop or proceed forward when unexpectedly faced
with a yellow light. This situation is even further exacerbated by the tendency
of aggressive drivers to inappropriately speed up on the yellow just to get
through the traffic light. A survey of Canadian drivers conducted by the
Traffic Injury Research Foundation found that 9% of drivers admitted to
speeding up to get through a traffic light.<span><span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"> </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Another
reason for these accidents is the increased danger of making a left-hand turn
on yellow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
(NHTSA), left turns occur in approximately 22.2% of collisions¡ªas opposed to
just 1.2% for right turns. Moreover, a study by CNN found left turns are three
times as likely to kill pedestrians than right turns. The reason left turns are
so much more likely to cause an accident is because they take a driver against
traffic and in the path of oncoming cars. Additionally, most of these left
turns occur at the driver¡¯s discretion¡ªas opposed to the distressingly brief
left-hand arrow at busy intersections. Drive Safe Now proposes a workable
solution for reducing the number of accidents occurring during a yellow light
at intersections. We believe this fairly simple solution will save lives,
prevent injuries, reduce damage to public and private property, and decrease
insurance costs.</span></span></span>
%K Traffic Accidents
%K Yellow Light
%K Traffic Light
%K Signals
%K Intersection
%K Crashes
%K Collision
%K Traffic Fatalities
%K Traffic Injuries
%K Vehicles
%K Safety
%K Speed Limit
%K Driving
%K Pedestrians
%K Bicyclists
%K Motorcyclists
%K Caution Line
%K Yellow Light Dilemma
%K Left Hand Turn on Yellow
%K Distance
%K Smart Road Technology
%K Signs
%K Signage
%K Autonomous Vehicles
%K AVs
%K Road Safety
%K IoT
%K Internet of Things
%K Infrastructure
%K Accident Reduction
%K Driving Habits
%K Stop Line
%K Red Light Jumping
%K Pedestrian Safety
%K Caution Light
%K Stopping at Intersection
%K Safety at Intersections
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=130705