WASHINGTON — Traffic lights can be frustrating, but an app called EnLighten could change the way people get around town. The app has the ability to alert the driver to when lights will change.
Connected Signals, of Eugene, Oregon, invented the app for Androids and iPhones. BMW is now offering in-car support for the app.
How does it work?
The app displays a countdown when the light is green. As the countdown approaches zero, the app makes a sound to alert the driver that the light will be changing soon. When the light is about to change, the app will tell you whether to apply the brakes or to continue through, calculating the best decision based on speed and distance.
Unfortunately the app is only programmed with traffic lights in a few cities in Oregon, Utah, Nevada and California. Connected Signals plans to collect data for traffic lights at dozens of other cities across the country. But none of them are in D.C., Maryland or Virginia.
