Push-a-button = automatic green light

[M42Technik]

Not everywhere.

Whenever I see an emergency vehicle in a hurry, the lights don't do anything different. He just has to run the red lights.

-Erik

Works in Pennyslvania I've heard, not in my hometown of downtown MD or in DC though.

[RobertK]

I have a friend that owns one of these. The brights thing is bullshit. Its a specified IR signal in Kansas. It works and, to date, isnt illegal in Kansas.

Will be soon though.

Quoted from the Website

[UPDATE]
It is now a FEDERAL Offense to Sell or Use any Traffic Preemption device by an authorized user. This has been passed by the Safe Intersections Act of 2005, an addition to the tranist bill signed recently by President Bush. The Penalty is as follows:
`(a) Offenses-

`(1) SALE- A person who knowingly sells a traffic signal preemption transmitter in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce to a person who is not acting on behalf of a public agency or private corporation authorized by law to provide fire protection, law enforcement, emergency medical services, transit services, maintenance, or other services for a Federal, State, or local government entity, shall, notwithstanding section 3571(b) of title 18, United States Code, be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

`(2) USE- A person who makes unauthorized use of a traffic signal preemption transmitter in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce shall be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both.

More Legality information can be found using your states D.O.T. (Dept. of Transportation)'s website. The Official MIRT site has a great listing of these D.O.T. Site. Please read up on it. I would hate for you to go to jail over something stupid. So why am I releasing this information? I feel that governments (& companies) need to realize that you cant use "non-authentication" techniques to control critical systems. Critical systems critically need encryption.

[delphini]

I'm just getting a hell of a laugh about the thought of dozens of cars flashing their brights at every traffic signal they approach that they don't like the color of.........and to think that every couple of minutes the light will eventually change anyways..................................:rofl:

[arsevader]

http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/strobe.asp

[Digitalwave]

http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/strobe.asp

[equate975]

We were going to make a MIRT before it became a felony. I dont think it would work where I live though. We just got a new emergency system for our lights, it uses the IR AND A pattern of light beams from the cops light rail thing.

In any case its real easy to pick someone out whos doing it, just about every intersection here has a camera on it, I would like to see the footage of someone doing this on their camera, a nice little intense beam of ir blinking from a non-emrgency vehicles windshield lol.

[e34john]

some guy in my city got caught with one of those a few months ago it was on the news and they told us the name but i cant remember it right now, they did say he got it from ebay and that it shaved about 15-25 minutes of his commute to work. i just do the highbeam when im a quarter block away from the intersection seems to work, but it might just be my mind.

[Arkangel]

Everytime Andrew and I watch "Ronin", and it gets to that part where Vincent has that little gizmo that turns the colors of the lights, we both go "I want one of those..."

One of my favorite movies because of the car chases. Especially the M5 and the Peugot....

[Digitalwave]

One of my favorite movies because of the car chases. Especially the M5 and the Peugot....

Before Josh tells you, I am going to say that the car was actually a 525i :)

[delatlanta1281]

Beat me to it.....

[AndrewBird]

See, I always thought that emergency vehicles turned all the lights red so that no one pulled out into the intersection and so the emergency vehicle could go through safely. Am I the only that thinks that makes more sense?

[kansas-ix]

I just trail the emergency vehicle, you get to haul ass and you get green lights best of both worlds.

[arsevader]

See, I always thought that emergency vehicles turned all the lights red so that no one pulled out into the intersection and so the emergency vehicle could go through safely. Am I the only that thinks that makes more sense?

That would be too simple an explanation. There has to be some sort of conspiracy element to it.

[KenC]

That would be too simple an explanation. There has to be some sort of conspiracy element to it.

Why would you want cross traffic to have a green light? I can't imagine any ambulence drivers were that good at Frogger back in the day.

[arsevader]

Why would you want cross traffic to have a green light? I can't imagine any ambulence drivers were that good at Frogger back in the day.

I beleive it's part of the training program.