What Took So Long?: A Countdown Stop Light
Honestly, I'm sure this idea has been around forever. I even invented it in my sleep once WHEN I WAS A CHILD but I didn't want to take credit for it because I didn't want my parents to find out I already knew how to drive since I'd been moonlighting as a cabbie to pay my way through astronaut school. That's all true. Anyway, the Countdown Traffic Light.
Besides alleviating frustration, designer Damjan Stanković sees his idea saving energy -- when motorists know there's plenty of time until the light turns green, they'll shut their engines off to conserve fuel.
Shut their engines off to conserve fuel? Apparently you're not familiar with how we like to do things here in the good ol' US of A. You see, people here like to rev their engines at stop lights. Plus, they'll purposefully jump off the line to hit anyone who was still in the intersection. It's like a game. A sad, shameful game.
Hit the jump for three more pictures in case you're still taking Remedial Understanding 101 and can't imagine how a countdown traffic light would work.
Finally, the countdown traffic light [dvice]
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