Intersections In Lakeland To Possibly Be Safer With New Program

POLK COUNTY, FL — Intersections in Lakeland could possibly become safer following a $500,000 grant awarded to the city that will expand the Intersection Avoidance Safety Program to include 25 additional high-impact intersections, a city of Lakeland news release said.

The Intersection Avoidance Safety Program is a system that has sensors measuring the speed of a vehicle and its distance from an intersection. It will then predict whether the driver is going to run the red light or be clear of the intersection in time, the news release said.

It also senses if someone tries to run a red light.

The sensors will alert the signal controller to extend an all-red phase—where all directions of traffic see a red light. This phase typically lasts two to four seconds, and this forces everyone approaching the intersection to stop, preventing a crash, the news release said.

Four Intersections In Lakeland Have The Intersection Avoidance Safety Program System In Place:

• South Florida Avenue at Beacon Road
• West Memorial Boulevard at Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard
• East Memorial Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue
• U.S. 98 South and North Crystal Lake Road

These intersections were originally chosen because of the high number of accidents attributed to red-light running as part of the red light camera program., city staff said.

The program's expansion will include an additional 25 intersections and the exploration of a driver warning system that would use a cell phone or in-vehicle technology to alert drivers of a red-light runner at one of these intersections.

The Florida Department of Transportation awarded Lakeland with this grant.