Several months ago I read an article by John Stossel about transportation and he mentioned that he feels that stoplights are not necessary and that perhaps we can be safer without them. I found the idea interesting at the time but had never really thought about it. After a few months and reading some more reasons why we might not need them I have decided that they are unnecessary.
First, other than google, there is no machine that is really smarter than humans. The stoplight has no idea if I am sitting in front of a red light and no one else is there. Even if they have sensors, you will still need to come to a stop and wait for the lights to change. It is inconvenient and inefficient.
Second, green lights give a false sense of security. When you see a green light, you speed up and just think "go." I think people are less likely to speed through an intersection if it doesn't have a stoplight because we would be more afraid. That fear will make us safer because we will be looking cautiously as we cross an intersection and not just relying on others to obey traffic signals. When we pass through an intersection, are we more concentrated on what color a light is or if it is safe to pass? If there is no stoplight, we will pay more attention to traffic and road conditions.
Third, stoplights increase pollution. In a few places they have taken out stoplights and traffic has improved. Without all of the congestion pollution will be decreased.
It seems to me that we are smart enough to live without traffic lights. I can tell if it is safe for me to go with or without a stoplight. I say it is time for us to fight back against the machines and get rid of stoplights.
