LED lights: environmentally-friendly… except during winter

By David Menzies

In recent years, numerous municipalities have taken a shine to LED (light emitting diodes) technology for traffic signals. And what’s not to love? These environmentally-friendly lights, which use up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent lights, also last much longer than incandescent lights. Surely going the LED route is win-win, right?

Alas, leave it to Mother Nature and Old Man Winter to lay a beating on a good idea.

At issue: as motorists battle the elements during the winter driving months, there’s now concern that LED traffic lights could pose an unexpected risk on the roads. Although incandescent light bulbs are energy hogs, at least such lights generate enough heat to melt away blowing snow. But because LEDs use only a fraction of the energy and because they generate a bright light, LEDs fail to create enough heat to melt away the snow that adheres to traffic lights during snowstorms.

Recently, the mayor of blizzard-prone Halifax warned that blowing snow could blot out the signals at some of the city's 250-plus intersections.

“We are experiencing, during wet snow events, blocking of some of the lights,” Peter Kelly recently told The Halifax Weekly News. “It happens in particular when the direction of the lights is head-on to the storm.”

South of the border, U.S. officials are also racing to find ways to deal with the LED/snow problem.

And with good reason: last year, a driver in Illinois was killed as she was turning left through a green light. A driver in the oncoming lane went through a red light, which was entirely blocked by snow. He slammed into the woman’s car, killing her instantly.

Green Bay, Wis. – a city where the deep freeze reigns during the winter months – recently replaced all of its traffic signals with LEDs. And these days, municipal workers are struggling to keep the lights snow-free and visible.

Some cities have workers scraping snow off lights; other municipalities are installing small snow shields.

In any event, something to think about next time you approach a signalized intersection on a cold, snowy day.

Comments

I don't see what this has to do with LED's not being environmentally friendly during the winter, I don't see where the title comes in here.

Didn't anyone learn what to do if a light is out? If you can't see green at a signal light, you stop, look in all directions and proceed with caution.

I design and installing Christmas decorations forPlanterra.ca in Montreal, Quebec.
The trend towards the use of LED lights on Christmas decor is becomming more popular, due to the energy efficiency and long life of LED technology.
From recent experience, we will not use LED on items such as outdoor 20' wreaths and large trees. The lack of heat in the bulbs, causes a build up of snow, which hides the lights, as well as creates problems with weight of the structures.

truck and bus tail lights cover with snow to.

So, basically, the LED lights create jobs in addition to their other talents. To determine whether the LED lights are actually saving energy compared to incandescent bulbs, the energy used directly by each would need to be compared -- as well as manufacturing costs and the average energy used in cranes and other machinery to perform maintenance on either kind of bulb.

While this is very true, LED lights do not provide enough heat, there is a very very simple solution during the winter months to provide a fix to this problem. I have worked with LED lights for over 20 years, yes they go way back. There is a company in Vancouver BC Canada that has a solution, Enviroled Technologies Corporation. Google the name.

This is a totally valid safety concern, however, when traffic lights are not working, drivers are supposed to know, and obey the intersection like a 4-way stop. It should be any different if the cause of lights not showing is snow.

What is the big deal? Yes LEDs consume a fraction of the enegy of an incandescent lamp. For that reason it is worthwhile retaining the LED signal light and in prepartion for snow and ice buildup simply install inexpensive heating pads or strips on or around the offending lights. The pads produce sufficient heat (BTUs) to melt snow and ice before it builds up and consume less energy than an incandescent. The heaters when controlled by an outdoor thermostat ensure the pad operation when the ambient temperature drops below freezing, zero degrees C.

This is a no brainer; they cost pennies a day to supply, install and operate.

Talked to many truckers who have also been concerned about the LED lamps in the tail lights of cars as well.If there is snow the rear lights get covered and there is no warmth to melt. Truckers told me that they have nearly had many accidents because of this.

There is a simple fix to this that works and is cheap and simple to do. Just spray the face of the signal with PAM (or whatever non-stick spray you prefer). As long as the signal is cleaned before being sprayed, it can last up to a year. If they are sprayed before the first winter snowstorm, they will remain clear for at least a few months. The time it lasts depends on how much rain and sunlight the signal gets - both will eventually make the non-stick spray disappear.

Spraying the housing can also assist with the problem if the snow builds up from the housing towards the middle of the signal.

The tip also works with satellite dishes that collect snow and drop your signal. Just make sure to only spray the gray reflector area (the actual "dish" part) and not the LNBF (the "eye" that points at the dish).

It would seem people have forgotten the 4-way stop at an intersection where the signal lights are either out or malfunctioning.

led tail lights on dump trucks are bad for geting snow coverd too .

This is nothing new. As a professional truck driver I have always disliked LEDs on the back of my truck and trailer. The reason is very simple, as you drive down the highway the snow collects on the backs of trailers and accumulates over all the lights. The LEDs have never generated any heat to melt the snow. The old style always heated up enough to clear the lights even though the rest of the trailer was covered with snow. I always am wary of people following me because I know that in white- out they will never see me. At least with the old style lights they could at least the red lights on the back of my trailer. To me this article is nothing new and very old news. If the cities were smart they would go back to the old style lights.

..."a driver in Illinois was killed as she was turning left through a green light. A driver in the oncoming lane went through a red light, which was entirely blocked by snow. He slammed into the woman’s car, killing her instantly."
So apparently now, not seeing any traffic lights means, "Gun it! You MUST have right of way, right?" While the LEDs sound like a problem, the occasional animal behind the wheel is STILL the bigger terror.

Why don't they instal a heating element tied into the circuit already there and when needed, turn them all on from a central location once the snowstorm is over, turn them off again...these could also be controled by a photoresistor which senses when the light is covered and energizes the heating element. green traffic lights without snow problems. (like the defrost wiring on a cars back window)

All I know, is that I would SUE the pants off of any city that results in a traffic accident due to snow covered LEDs. You'd think these city traffic experts would have done their homework?