Ever follow an 18-wheeler or bus through an intersection, only to discover you had run a red light?

The 10- to 12-foot-high buses and semi trucks and trailers effectively block views of overhead traffic lights for drivers in trailing passenger vehicles.

Overhead traffic lights now generally hang above all traffic lanes at intersections, replacing the old-fashioned lights fixed on posts at the nearest righthand corners.

Traffic-safety engineers obviously believe the overhead lights are easier to see. They are, if motorists aren't following 18-wheelers or transit buses in congested traffic areas.

The solution is simple, but expensive. Reinstall the post lights as an added safety measure--a last-minute opportunity to avoid intersection collisions involving blind-sided motorists.(17 SEPTEMBER 2000)

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