One in Four Drivers Ignored This Confusing New Red Light | Carscoops

      Instead of the conventional red, yellow, and green signals, this system features five different settings, including yellow, flashing yellow, red, and flashing red.

      Drivers in Massachusetts are experiencing confusion due to new pedestrian hybrid beacons.

      These beacons have five distinct phases, four of which involve yellow or red lights.

      Many drivers are stopping unnecessarily, while others are failing to stop altogether.

      While the basic rules of the road remain unchanged, new elements are occasionally introduced. Recently, attention has shifted towards a new feature causing confusion among drivers in Massachusetts.

      The item in question is “pedestrian hybrid beacons,” which are complex lights present at certain crosswalks. Unlike traditional signals that simply show a red light for stopping, these have five phases: off, flashing yellow, solid yellow, red, and flashing red.

      A Confusing Display of Lights

      This is more complex than necessary, but the meanings of the yellow and red signals should intuitively make sense as they are similar to typical traffic lights. A solid yellow light indicates drivers should slow down for pedestrians, while a flashing yellow light signals them to prepare to stop. A solid red light means stop, whereas a flashing red light instructs drivers to stop and then proceed when the crosswalk is clear.

      According to a study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, about 25 percent of drivers ran solid red lights, a figure that soared to 65 percent when faced with flashing red lights.

      Misjudgments in the Mix

      Conversely, some drivers improperly stop when they shouldn’t; 9 percent halted when no lights were on, and 19 percent stopped for flashing yellow lights. This tendency increased to 30 percent for solid yellow lights.

      The positioning of pedestrian hybrid beacons seems to influence driver behavior. On four-lane roads, there was less premature stopping but a higher incidence of running red lights. In contrast, at rail trail crossings, more drivers mistakenly stopped, which study lead author Angelina Caggiano attributed to the expected presence of pedestrians.

      The authors raised questions about whether these beacons are the most suitable devices for rail trail crossings or areas with heavy pedestrian and cyclist traffic. Nevertheless, they suggested that familiarity with the lights will increase as more are introduced.