A New Color Could Be Added To Texas Traffic Lights

Traffic signals have been around for more than a hundred years and have pretty much always used the same colors. Texas may be about to step that game up a notch.

At the earliest ages, way before driving is even a possibility, most kids learn the 3 basic traffic signal colors and what they mean. Red means stop, yellow means floor it...I mean, use caution and green means go.

There may, (most likely), soon be a 4th option as far as the colors on traffic signals go not just in Texas but everywhere.

"White" lights may soon appear on signals everywhere. White, mind you, is just what they're calling the light, I don't think they've picked an exact color yet. White seems like it would be hard to see on sunny days. Purple maybe? We'll see ...

Why Is A New Color Being Added To Traffic Signals?

Anyway, a new color is (probably) coming and we can thank autonomous vehicles for the new bling. According to Traffic Technology Today, this will improve traffic flow and fuel consumption by helping "real" drivers coordinate with driverless vehicles.

Red will still mean stop, yellow still means caution and green still means go. The "white" light means you are supposed to follow the vehicle in front of you and do exactly as it does. If it stops, then you stop ... if it goes, then you go too.

If a certain percentage of traffic is autonomous, those vehicles and the signals communicate with each other wirelessly and assume control of the intersection. If you are in the "white" light lane, you just play follow the leader while everyone else drives normally.

There's no timeline for this switch yet but the powers that be have been talking about it for at least a year or so. You can read more here.