Will Michigan Traffic Lights Get a White Light? What the New Proposal Means for Drivers

The traditional red-yellow-green stoplight has seemingly been around forever, but could that be about to change? Are you ready for traffic lights that may one day incorporate white lights?

You probably learned your colors (or at least three of them) riding with your parents as a toddler and may in turn have helped teach your kids the meaning of red, yellow, and green.

A note to Michigan drivers:  Some of you may need a refresher course on what to do when a light turns red. Hint:  The answer is not "punch the accelerator and pray like hell."

Fun Fact:  The Yellow Traffic Light Was Invented by a Michigan Man

While three-colored traffic lights are the norm today, it wasn't that way a century ago. Gas-illuminated traffic signs were introduced in the mid 1800s, and the first electric traffic signal was switched on in 1914.

William Potts was a Bad Axe native who became a Detroit police officer at a young age. Potts recognized the need for drivers to get a warning that the light was about to change from green to red and invented a three-light signal, with the yellow light warning Detroit drivers that they should punch it and speed through the intersection the signal was about to change to red.

Are Traffic Signals About to Add a Fourth Color?

New technology brings the need for change. While the addition of a fourth light on most traffic signals is not imminent, researchers say adding a white light may be necessary as more autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars) begin hitting the road.

Researchers at North Carolina State University are proposing that a white light would signal human drivers when it's time to let autonomous vehicles - or AVs - dictate the flow of traffic.

This white-phase concept means AVs would communicate wirelessly with each other and the traffic signal. As these vehicles become more commonplace, the traffic signal will coordinate with the vehicles to facilitate optimum traffic flow.

When there is a vast majority of human-driven cars at an intersection, the light will function normally, as it does today.

When a higher percentage of AVs is present, the white traffic signal will indicate to human drivers that they should simply follow the vehicle in front of them.

You can read more about the proposal here and watch the video below. Is this the future?