Drivers Today Rely On Solar Panels Attached To Traffic Signs to Help Them Adhere To the Road Rules
Sep 14th, 2009 by Kolleen
Driving today has come a long way from driving 20 or 30 years ago when drivers and their passengers did not wear seatbelts and children were wrapped up in cheap down comforters or jumping about from the front seat to the backseat without a care in the world. Today’s distractions include cell phones, highway construction and the occasional crying child who wants to be released from their car seat; however we now know that is a dangerous thing for children not to be restrained in a car seat.
One of the benefits today’s drivers have over those drivers of years past are solar paneled traffic signs which not only use the sun’s energy to generate power to several LED flashing lights, they help draw attention to what the sign is instructing the driver to do.
Solar panels have been used for a number of years in eco-friendly homes to help cut their energy costs and have recently been attached to street signs in order to generate the LED flashing lights to help garner the attention of distracted drivers to the street signs so they may heed the warnings and avoid accidents.
Solar panels adhered to traffic signs helps cities and states cut their costs because other signs with flashing LED lights that are hooked up to electricity or gas powered generators are more expensive and can cause accidents. With solar paneled traffic signs, there is no need for long electrical extension cords or high-priced gasoline to run the generator to light up the signs that help drivers know what’s going on up ahead. Many solar powered traffic signs are placed along the highway to warn drivers of road work ahead. In addition, another common place for a LED solar powered sign is at a four-way stop.
Solar panel installation is pretty straightforward and can be installed in one day’s time. The solar panels absorb the sun’s ultraviolent rays and can run continuously for 12 hours even on a cloudy day or in the dark of night.
Solar powered stop signs and other traffic signs have been shown to save lives because they alert distracted drivers with their flashing LED lights to upcoming road work or a stop in the road.
