Canowyrms

December 29, 2009 at 1:52am

Heating elements? Weather Shields? Water repelling coatings? All costs money in the end, and would most likely end up being cheaper to switch back to the old bulbs. Weather shields? What happens when they get covered in snow? Derp. Water repelling coatings? Double derp, snow is FROZEN water, not a CLEAR liquid that we can already see through.

 

Whoever thought this through was not thinking very hard at all.

 

PS: My condolences to Lisa and her family.

snapple00

December 24, 2009 at 8:00am

Ugh. Damn women drivers.

Tommytooker

December 20, 2009 at 11:36am

This is another example of narrow-minded people rushing to save the whales/polar-bears/earth/ozone/owls... pick one. That's a character flaw that I do not have any sympathy or patience for so get ready for my soapbox. Here's a tip for all you "public officials", "put the publics safety first and THINK it through. Now at least one person is dead, how many more are injured because somebody thought that they would feel better about themselves because they were saving energy. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for LED lights, in fact lets light up the whole world with LEDs. But will you people making these decisions think about the consequences and not how your decision will make you feel better about yourself or how you will look green in the eyes of a fanatic.

It's amazing that nobody anticipated the outcome of using low-heat bulbs outdoors in the winter time. And I'm sure there's a simple solution that will still maintain a high level of energy savings. There, that's it, I'm finished, that wasn't too bad was it?

Trooper_One

December 18, 2009 at 1:23pm

I don't know about you guys in the states, but here in Canada (and generally, I would imagine), is that if the light is a flashing yellow or if the lights don't work, it's equal to a 4-way stop and proceed with caution.

 The driver says the lights didn't work but that's no excuse for wanton carelessness, driving without due diligence, and negligence causing death.

Jono

December 18, 2009 at 3:42am

Couldn't they just lace the glass with defrosting wires like we would see on the back window of a car?? I mean 90% is a lot of energy to be saving so I wouldn't abandon LEDs altogether. Just have the defrosters either sense stormy weather and turn on or turn them on during winter months and off for the summer. Shouldn't be all that difficult.

 Say its too expensive to put wires in... and just wastes as much energy as traditional bulbs; I am sure placing a hood over the light and having concave glass extend from the light would resolve the problem. One thing to note that I've seen on lights with weather borders around the lights is that they go completely around the light... In the case of snow it could pile up on the inside of the cover. The cover needs to only shield the top portion of the entire light and the sides. The glass that covers the LEDs should have a slight, unexaggerated concave shaped outwards so it lets snow naturally fall away from the surface, if any manages to get past the weather covers, which would happen with the introduction of any wind. 

NeauxFear

December 17, 2009 at 11:41pm

Y'all don't have guards over the lights, or are they just not effective against snow?  Because I know here in Louisiana we have guards over each light, but it's mainly to block out the sun.  Being as we get snow about 2 or 3 times a decade, I really don't know how well they would work.

Fireman2118

December 17, 2009 at 5:39pm

How about just putting the old bulbs back in?

nsk chaos

December 17, 2009 at 3:07pm

the only thing that might work is probably adding some heating elements...but that might be costly....but we still wont know if it will work or not or in the long will the investment pay off?

nsvander

December 17, 2009 at 12:36pm

I find it funny that this is just now being seen as a problem, I dont know about other states, but in Southen Cali. they have been using LED traffic lights for what seems a better part of 4 or 5 years.  They are just now realizing that they don't get hot and melt snow?  I have to agree with the rest though, blame the drivers for not paying attention to lights.  Cannot see what color it is, come to stop and look before you go!!!

DogPatch1149

December 17, 2009 at 12:32pm

With all that money saved by using less power and not having to change the lights as often, they can spend it on adding heaters, shields, coatings, or some other solution to keep them from getting covered.

kw13tl33tg33k

December 17, 2009 at 10:55am

the problem is not the lights. its the drivers

I stay in cleveland and it doesnt matter if its snowing or not if those power lights are broken rather LED or traditional buffoons here treat them as "No Light" meaning they jus done stop...as an ex 911 dispatcher we took hundreds of calls like this. Of course the law is when the light has malfunctioned please treat as a 4 wa stop...but that Never Happens.

Edwincnelson

December 17, 2009 at 10:43am

What all these stories have failed account for is how many people die in accidents because the lights have burned out. LED lights work for as long as 10 years. Incandescent bulbs only last one year. I think you may find that LEDs are actually saving hundreds of lives by working without maintenance for so long. 

Budman_NC

December 17, 2009 at 10:18am

What idiot goes through a traffic light not knowing what color its indicating?? Those in the wrong should have to retake their drivers liscence test. People should drive as if their life (and other's) depends on it because it does! I almost lost my life 4 years ago because of this kind of (non) thinking. Sorry, but if you've ever had a 3500 pound SUV shoved up your butt due to someone's carelessness, you kind of get "testy" over this kind of thing.

LatiosXT

December 17, 2009 at 9:23am

I think it states in the driving manual in California that if lights are disabled (by power outtage), you are to treat them like stop signs. I would think if you couldn't really see a traffic light, you'd treat it like a stop sign.

 Oh well. What can you do?