1/22/2024

During mid/late January here in Michigan, it seems that snow and ice are the norm.

While sometimes the snow makes for amazing scenery, there are many issues that arise as well…driving safety, painfully cold temperatures and people being much less inclined to leave their home to name a few of the obvious. The snow/ice impacts everything, including everyday items that we take for granted or don’t really think about, such as traffic lights.

Traffic Lights are used around the world to control traffic and improve safety of drivers and pedestrians at intersections. They’re seen so often in real life, video games and cinema, that there is a worldwide understanding of the color code (red, yellow and green), regardless of age or if the person is a driver. They’re used so often that as we travel from place to place, not much thought is given to their maintenance or functionality. We just expect them to be working at all times.

As technology advances, LEDs are now being used instead of incandescent bulbs for traffic lights due to their countless benefits (energy efficiency, long lifespan, etc.). One issue, however, is that they do not produce enough heat, resulting in snow and ice accumulating on and/or around the traffic lights and significantly limiting visibility.

To combat this issue, JVIS USA LLC, a design and engineering firm, teamed up with Macomb County here in Michigan to install heating technology on certain lights. This technology is a self-regulating system that measures temperature and moisture levels, activating only when snow and ice are present, rapidly melting them and restoring full visibility.

Snow/ice may impact us, but so too does engineering, and this is just another unique and impactful application. I’m confident this heating technology will prevent countless accidents and save many lives in the process. Having experienced the issues firsthand of being at an intersection with a traffic light covered in ice, it is impressive to see that a solution has been created. I expect other parts of the world with a lot of snow/ice storms will adopt this technology for the safety of their citizens and visitors.

#Engineering#Technology#Safety#Transportation#Winter#Snow#Michigan#Traffic#SCN#Recruiting#Consulting