Senate bill pushes for traffic lights with countdown timer

Traffic lights play an important role when it comes to overall road safety. It helps make a busy intersection more organized and safer for motorists and pedestrians. 

Traffic light with countdown timer

The red-yellow-green lights give ample time for motorists to cross an intersection. It also provides pedestrians the opportunity to cross the street in a relatively safer way. 

But some motorists get caught off-guard when crossing an intersection as the green light suddenly turns yellow. This can cause traffic jams, and it could potentially lead to road accidents. 

To address the said issue, Senator Mark Villar filed a bill that pushes for the installation of countdown timers on traffic lights. Senate Bill (SB) 1959 or the Traffic Lights and Pedestrian Lights Timer Act aims to promote “road safety and reduce traffic congestion through the use of innovative technologies, including the installation of timers in traffic lights.”  

Countdown timers on traffic lights can help reduce confusion, Senator Villar said

Senator Villar stated that motorists and pedestrians “have problems” due to the “absence of the countdown timers of some traffic lights.” This results in difficulty anticipating when the light will change from green to yellow. The guessing game when crossing an intersection can be reduced if the traffic light comes with a countdown timer, according to Villar. 

“To reduce the confusion, risk of accidents, and possible violations, it is deemed proper to improve the traffic management system by providing clear signals to motorists and pedestrians,” stated SB 1959.

The bill seeks the installation of traffic and pedestrian lights with countdown timers in urban and rural areas. The timers should display the time remaining until the traffic light changes. 

Timers can help pedestrians decide whether it's still safe to cross

Once approved, the bill tasks the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as well as the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to coordinate with Local Government Units (LGUs) in maintaining the traffic lights with countdown timers. 

A fine of not less than Php 50,000 but not more than Php 100,000 will be slapped on LGUs for each traffic light that does not have a properly functioning countdown timer.  

Traffic lights with countdown timers are not a new thing, especially in some areas of Metro Manila. But then again, not all traffic lights in the Philippines are integrated with a countdown timer, which leads motorists into a guessing game if they can make it in time to cross an intersection.  

The said bill could reduce confusion and the risk of accidents but, it doesn’t go in line with what the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced last year. Last August 2022, the MMDA said that it is already phasing out countdown timers on traffic lights. 

The reason being is that the MMDA wants to switch to an adaptive signaling system, which changes traffic lights based on the number of vehicles traversing through an intersection at any given time.  

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