Catching the rays of roadway safety
By John A. Gavin | McClatchy/Tribune News June 24, 2009
Solar-powered flashers prove cheaper than stoplights, more
effective than plain stop signs
HACKENSACK, N.J. -- More towns are using solar-powered warning
signs, capitalizing on the technology's effectiveness to inform the public, warn
motorists of danger and save energy.
"We've already seen a reduction in motor vehicle accidents at those
intersections," said Lyndhurst, N.J., Police Chief James O'Connor, discussing 12
solar-powered stop signs at high-traffic residential intersections. "If they
prevent one serious injury or death, then it's money very well-spent."
The signs, which use the sun's energy to generate and store power, are low
maintenance and can draw motorists' attention from a distance, which police say
has reduced incidents of driver distraction.
Light-emitting-diode units embedded in each corner of the sign flash
simultaneously and can draw motorists' attention from three or four blocks away.
An independent study by a Texas transportation group showed that the blinking signs
-- manufactured by Wisconsin-based Tapco -- reduced incidents of vehicles
running through stop signs by 52 percent.
"There also is a significant cost savings to be had over the life of the units,"
said Timothy Collins, superintendent of roads in Wayne, N.J. "You are not paying
an electric bill to operate these lights. ... These things function 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year in all weather conditions and haven't failed once in three
years. And they have shown no signs of any issues."
No statistics have been compiled yet, but O'Connor said previous studies have
shown that eight out of 10 accidents at the intersections were caused by driver
inattention.
The signs take the place of traffic signals. "To get traffic signals , you have
to go through the [state Department of Transportation]," Lyndhurst Public Safety
Commissioner Robert Giangeruso said. "You have to have fatalities, massive
accidents and a study done" by the department.
"It's a safety issue," Giangeruso said. "We don't want to wait for an accident
to happen. It can be foggy at night, there can be rain. The signs get your
attention."