Some US cities have begun rewarding careful drivers with fewer red lights

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, city officials have implemented a "rest in red" program on Lead and Coal avenues, a pair of busy one-way streets. The program uses stoplights that default to red until a vehicle approaches. However, to take it a step further, the city added speed sensors that grant a green light to drivers traveling at or below the posted limit.

Jennifer Turner, the city's director of municipal development, notes that the technology itself serves as its own advertisement – drivers quickly learn that speeding results in a stop. Isaac Romero, a resident along the corridor, has noticed a significant difference, no longer hearing drivers racing to beat the traffic lights or crashing.

Portland, Oregon, has also adopted the concept, implementing "virtual speed bumps" on Southeast Powell Boulevard, a high-crash area. The city's signals lower the average speed from 39 mph to the posted 30 mph during late-night hours, when the strategy is tested. Oregon State University researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of this approach, which could potentially increase speed compliance without causing more drivers to run red lights or other issues.

However, Jay Beeber, the National Motorists Association's chief government affairs and policy officer, remains skeptical about the long-term effectiveness of rest in red without a comprehensive education campaign and prefers simpler solutions.