Legal Commentary

Less Electricity, More Accidents

By Jonathan H. Adler

Many jurisdictions have begun installing LED traffic lights.  LEDs use less electricity, require less maintenance, and last longer than conventional bulbs.  But as the NYT reports, there?s also a catch for colder parts of the country.  LEDs generate less heat, and are more prone to collecting ice and snow, which can block the signal.  According to some other reports, this has led to numerous accidents and at least one death.  Some transportation officials believe the problem is easily manageable by having workers go out and manually remove the snow and ice, but reduces the cost-savings from switching to LEDs.

Full post as published by The Volokh Conspiracy on January 02, 2010 (boomark / email).