(C) Apalachin Community Press, 1999

Car Keys - Running the Yellow Light

Traffic lights are universal symbols that regulate traffic in civilized countries. They are recognized by children as a way to safely cross busy city streets, and by bicyclists and drivers as a means to get from one place to another in an orderly, safe way.

Kindergarten songs teach children about how traffic lights work for the benefit of travelers and pedestrians: 'Stop', says the red light, 'Go', says the green, 'Look', says the yellow, we can't be seen. Even in that little song, the yellow light isn't given the importance that it deserves. The yellow light stands for Caution. Why caution? Because, ...we can't be seen. So why do we constantly try to slide under the yellow light? Are we really that late? If so, why are we always so late?

A little research shows that there are twenty-seven traffic lights on Route 434, beginning with the old bridge in Owego and ending at the police station in Binghamton. At 9:00 pm, the average red light lasts 27.27 seconds. The longest red light is at the intersection with Rano Boulevard, which lasts 59 seconds.

It is understood that the duration of many of these red lights is dependant upon the traffic and the time of day. It is uncomfortable to sit in a roasting car on the pavement for any length of time. Some people may find it irritating to have to shift gears instead of coasting on through an intersection. However, when a driver tries to squeeze under a yellow light, that driver is literally throwing caution to the wind. Whose lives are we risking? Why?

It is just a guess, but we may be careless in other aspects of our lives as well. Henry David Thoreau was pleased to live his life 'deliberately.' Let us, also, try to live our lives more deliberately. Let us remember to grant ourselves a few extra minutes of travelling time so we can reach our destinations safely. We do not have to live dangerously. The traffic lights are there to bring a little bit of order into the chaos of travel. The lights are really only a few seconds long, and may possibly mean the difference between life and death.