Stoplights Freeze Over, Causing Accident
WEST BEND, Wis – High efficiency traffic lights are being blamed for layer of ice and snow that completely covered stoplights across our area.
According to the West Bend Department of Public Works, ice built up over new high-efficiency LED fixtures installed in traffic lights. The LED traffic lights use substantially less electricity but do not give off enough heat to melt ice or snow.
That is a contrast to traditional traffic light bulbs that typically generated enough heat to melt ice and snow.
In West Bend, ice covered traffic lights were even blamed for an accident after a driver reported he could not see a red light that was obscured by snow. The victim of the accident, Barbara Wolf, said her car was rammed by a driver at the intersection of Washington and Wildwood after the oncoming driver said he didn’t see a red light. “He didn’t see it. And then after we realized the lights were covered with snow,” Wolf said.
Public Works employees spent part of Thursday afternoon scraping the ice and snow off the traffic signals. They improvised a tool made out of a pole and an automotive ice scraper. “It’s making a difficult time for drivers to see the lights,” said Jeff Watzlawick of the West Bend Department of Public Works.
Many cities have the LED traffic signal fixtures and experienced the same problems as West Bend. The Milwaukee Department of Public Works sent a memo to all employees asking them to be alert for iced-over traffic signals so that crews could be dispatched to clear them off.
Despite the extra work and hassle of scraping the lights off, West Bend’s Director of Public Works said the lights have been a success and have dramatically cut down on energy costs.
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