Researchers propose a fourth light on traffic signals

Imagine seeing a fourth ‘white’ light the next time you stop at a traffic signal. What purpose can it serve? Transportation engineers at the North Carolina State University have proposed a new ‘White Phase’ concept, which enables autonomous vehicles, or AVs, to help control traffic flow. It involves adding a fourth ‘white’ light to the standard red-yellow-green traffic signal layout. The concept is based on the possibility of AVs communicating wirelessly with both each other and the computer controlling the traffic light. Though workable in theory, the white phase concept is far from real-life implementation at this stage.