A New Color Could Be Added to Colorado Traffic Lights

Colorado is known to have a few traffic lights. There are 1,400 of them just in the Denver metro, and it can seem like these traffic signals make it take a lifetime to drive down Colfax Avenue.

Read More: Colorado is Home to America's Longest Continuous Street

Electric traffic lights have been around for more than 100 years and have always featured the same three colors. Could that be something that is about to change here in the Centennial State?

America's Traffic Light Upgrade

Discussions are happening all over America regarding a fourth colored light being added to our traffic signals. It's been Green, Red, and Yellow for over a century, and a change may be in store for Colorado and the rest of America. A fourth "White Light" is likely on the way, and for a reason you may not have expected.

Get our free mobile app

Autonomous Vehicles Need Lights Too

Would you let a robot drive you around downtown Denver? Would you let a robot drive you over Independence Pass? As the presence of autonomous vehicles increases TrafficTechnologyToday.com thinks an addition to traffic signals called a "white light," could improve traffic flow and save everyone fuel costs. If you think a white light on a traffic signal would be hard to see during the day, "white" is just the name Traffic Technology Today uses for the concept of a signal for autonomous vehicles. It could end up being pink.

Read More: 8 Colorado Highways Named 'High Risk' Places You Might Hit a Deer

Seeing Is Believing

AVs talk to eachother and the traffic lights simultaneously. As they approach an intersection, the traffic signal activates the "white light." Cars operated by humans passing through the intersection would follow the car in front of them. If it stops, you stop. If the car continues through the intersection, you do as well. Check out the full concept from Traffic Technology Today here.