How 'Rest in Red' traffic lights force speeders to wait

Traffic engineers in several US cities have pivoted from fines and cameras to a psychological game of timing to curb speeding. Instead of issuing tickets after the fact, they are using a system that forces fast drivers to wait at red lights while those sticking to the limit glide through. The system, known as "Rest in Red," flips the standard traffic light logic. In a traditional setup, lights cycle through colors regardless of traffic. Under "Rest in Red," the default state is red. The green light is only triggered when sensors detect a vehicle approaching at a specific, legal speed. For the driver, this creates a strict trade-off: maintain the speed limit and hit a "green wave" of synchronized lights, or speed up and arrive at the intersection too early. The faster a driver pushes, the more likely they are to hit a red light and lose every second they tried to gain by speeding.