A traffic light turns yellow as

you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 A traffic light turns yellow as
you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 A traffic light turns yellow as
you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 A traffic light turns yellow as
you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 A traffic light turns yellow as
you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 A traffic light turns yellow as
you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 A traffic light turns yellow as
you enter an intersection…

Can you stop on time….? Or take

the risk to cross the intersection…
Do you even have enough time to
think before the light turns red?
 Traffic Light Project

Messan Folivi & Ben Pham

Mr. Johns
Physics AP
February 15, 2009.
 Situation of Dilemma
• A driver is said to be in a situation of
Dilemma when the time of the yellow
light is too short to make a decision.
• The driver’s thought oscillates between
stopping and crossing riskily the
intersection…
 Are our parish traffic lights
spare us from that dangerous
situation???

•Let’s find out…

 Some recommended yellow light
times..
Speed Limits Yellow Light
timings…
25 MPH -- 3.0 s
30 MPH 3.5 s
35 MPH 4.0 s
40 MPH 4.5 s
45 MPH 5.0 s
50 MPH 5.5 s
55 MPH 6.0 s
 These are some stopping
distances
according to the Louisiana Driver
Manual
Let’s see what is really going on!!!!
• FIRST TRIAL
Florida Blvd & Sherwood Forest Blvd
Baton
Rouge, LA 70815
• The length of the intersection: 90 feet
• Yellow light timing: 5.86 s
Trials 1 2 3
5.75 5.89 5.94

• Average: (5.75 + 5.89 + 5.94) / 3 = 5.86

s
• Speed limit: 55 mi/hr = 80.7 ft/s
• Average yellow light time: 5.86 s
• Total distances: the width of the
intersection + length of the car +
stopping distance = 90 ft + 17 ft + 216
ft = 323 ft
• Time required: 323 ft / 80.7 ft/s = 4 s

4 s > the actual yellow light time 

The driver is not in a situation of
dilemma….
 Our Second Trial

• Coursey Blvd & S Sherwood Forest Blvd,

Baton Rouge, LA 70816,
• The width of the intersection: 80
feet
• Yellow
Trials light
1 timing:
2 3
4.56 4.63 4.82

• Average: (4.56 + 4.63 + 4.82) / 3 =

4.67
• Speed limit: 45 mi/hr = 66 ft/s
• Yellow light time: 4.67 s
• Total distances: 80ft + 17ft + 154ft =
251 ft
• Time required: 251ft / 66ft/s = 3.8 s
Once again we can conclude that the
driver has enough time to cross the
intersection before the red light.
 Our third try
• Goodwood Blvd & Sherwood Forest
Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70815
 Third intersection

• The width of the intersection: 60 ft

• Yellow light timing: 3.10 s
• Speed limit : 35 mi/hr = 51.3 ft/s
• Yellow light time: 3.98 s
• Total distances: 60ft + 17ft + 101ft =
198 ft
.Time required: 198ft / 51.3 ft/s = 3.47 s
3.47> actual yellow light time ====
 The Driver is in a
situation of Dilemma
• The driver doesn’t have enough time to
cross the intersection……However, due
to the slight difference between the
two yellow times, he can make it by
accelerating…
• The wise decision is to slow
down and stop…………
 Our fourth trial
• Old Hammond Hwy & Sherwood Forest
Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70815
 Fourth intersection
• The width of the intersection: 96 feet
• Yellow light timing:
Trials 1 2 3
4.85 4.96 4.86

Average: ( 4.85 + 4.96 + 4.86) / 3 = 4.89 s

• Speed limit: 45 mi/hr = 66 ft/s
• Yellow light time: 4.89 s
• Total distances: 96ft + 17ft + 154ft =
267 ft
• Time required: 267 ft / 66ft/s = 4.05s

The driver has time to cross the road…

There is no situation of dilemma..
 Conclusion
• In our four trials, we only see a case
with a situation of dilemma.
• By adding a reaction time in which the
driver thinks about what to do, almost
all of our trials will contain a situation
of dilemma.
• Again, The wise decision for the
driver is to slow down and prepare to
stop when a traffic light turns
yellow…
• Because we don’t know when the light
will turn red and what can happen in
the next second….Our life depends on
it……
And unfortunately
for us, we don’t
have the power
to…..