Visual Display - A Case of Traffic Light Violation in Manila

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements in

IE-PC 3212 Ergonomics 2

BSIE 3-5

Amistad, Joseph I. Jr

Armenton, Exchel

Dibdib, Christiam Rey C.

Tindugan, Juleven A. Jr.

July 1, 2022
 INTRODUCTION

A visual display unit is a device that presents information, events or situations at home, at
work or in public places according to Safeopedia. Depending on the number of factors relating to
the observer and the display, the visual display unit may be the cause of either temporary or
persistent ergonomic issues. Visual displays have evolved in several parallel application areas
including television, computer monitors, graphics monitors, portable displays, projection displays
and most recently, immersive displays (Lantz, 1997). Traffic lights are one of the examples of
visual displays.

According to Wikipedia, Traffic lights, traffic signals or stoplights are traffic-controlling

signaling devices placed at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other areas. Traffic lights
normally consist of three signals, transmitting meaning to drivers and riders through colors and
symbols including arrows and bicycles. The regular traffic light colors are red, yellow, and green
arranged vertically or horizontally in that order. In the Philippines, traffic lights are being used in
most of the intersections to regulate traffic and avoid accidents, however, there has been a large
number of reported accidents and violations occurred especially beating the red lights. In fact, in
some cities or towns, traffic enforcers are even present to manage the traffic flow, even if the traffic
lights are functioning properly. Road safety has always been one of the major concerns in the
Philippines. Traffic lights play an integral role in road safety. It coordinates the flow of traffic in
intersections, ensuring that cars coming from various directions avoid collision. Traffic lights also
play a key part in traffic efficiency by signaling the turnover of traffic. More cars passing through
while the light is green signifies higher efficiency (Felicio, Grepo, Reyes, & Yupingkun, 2015). In
Malaysia, traffic crashes contribute to the most significant injuries and death. One of the causes of
crashes at intersections is due to red light running. The number of fatalities due to traffic light-
related accidents has steadily increased, leading to 182 fatalities and 757 injuries in 2009 (Jamila
& Shabadin, 2012). Therefore, traffic light violations are serious issues arising not only in the
Philippines but in some countries also.

This case focused on the viral video in Manila that showed the “magic stoplight” quickly
changing color to red even when the green light had 12 seconds left. Three traffic enforcers were
also seen flagging the car of the one taking the video. It is been reported that the stoplight was
broken. This could be another point of view that sometimes it’s not about the drivers’ decision or
behavior why they violate traffic lights, it could be that there’s a lack of maintenance and reliability
of the visual displays, particularly the traffic lights. This case will lead to an understanding of what
happens in the viral case and analyze both points of view to justify if it is all about the driver’s
wrongdoing or if the government is to blame for the unreliable traffic light. Furthermore, we will
provide recommendations that will help both sides.
 ANALYSIS

Traffic lights are now installed and used almost everywhere in the globe to regulate and
monitor the flow of cars. Both drivers and pedestrians receive stop and go signals from the traffic
lights. Lester Wire, who was worried about the fast rise in vehicles on the road following the
industrialization period, devised the traffic light and built the first electric traffic light in Cleveland,
Ohio, in 1914 [1]. Green means go, yellow means slow down, and red means stop, and these colors
are used to teach drivers on how to behave as they approach an intersection. Traffic lights often
function as planned. They are ineffective the rest of the time.
On the "CarBrazzer" Facebook page, a driver can be seen complaining about the magic
stoplight modus in a video clip. The internet community reacts to the video, which has gone viral
online. As shown in the video, the green light was still on with 12 seconds left when it abruptly
changed to a yellow light with only three seconds left. Despite being aware that the traffic signal
is broken, the driver keeps going. Sadly, the motorist was stopped by a number of traffic officers
who were stationed along the street not far from the pedestrian zone. As the uncaring traffic
officials detained him, the driver expressed his dissatisfaction over the occurrence.
From the first scenario where the green light was still on with 12 seconds left when it
changed to a yellow light with only three seconds left, we could bring some possible causes why
the traffic light malfunction. These includes:
• Power outage
• Accidents that involve control boxes or electrical poles
• Power surges or high winds due to storms
• Vandalism or tampering
• Age or deterioration of equipment
• Maintenance issues
• Other unknown causes
At rare situations, faulty traffic signals could not provide a pedestrian adequate time to
cross the street. This may result in a traffic jam and an accident from behind. It is reasonable to
infer that the accidents in each of these cases were caused by the traffic signals.
 For the next scenario as shown in the video, despite being aware that the traffic signal is
broken, the driver keeps going. We could conclude that the driver is aware of the malfunctioning
of the traffic light. Flashing green to orange, the driver is not following the correct behavior in
terms of following the rules on the road that can cause an accident and a violation also. Drivers
might occasionally become confused by the flashing signal, especially in congested intersections.
Make sure you are conscious of any potential risks. Below is the traffic light colored definition.
What to do if the signal is red, yellow or green.

➢ If the light is flashing red. Consider the junction to be a four-way stop if the signal is
blinking red. Come to a complete stop before approaching any marked crosswalk or
crossing a painted stop line when you reach the junction. In the absence of any of these,
halt before proceeding through the junction in a location where you can see the intersecting
side streets. In every direction, look out for cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

➢ If the light is flashing yellow. If your route is clear and the light is blinking yellow when
you reach the crossing, you can go cautiously without stopping. Give way to anybody using
the road, including bicycles and pedestrians. Be wary of other cars whose drivers might
not be familiar with the regulations. In order to avoid an accident, be prepared to stop for
them.
 ➢ If the light is flashing green. Drivers are allowed to proceed, turn left, or turn right without
stopping while they are in front of a flashing green traffic control light. Even if the opposing
lane of traffic will be stopped by a red light, drivers are still required to stop for pedestrians
or other legally stopped vehicles.

In addition, the first car to arrive at a junction at a four-way stop often has the right-of-way.
If you're the lone automobile or the first to arrive, you can stop and cross the crossing without
pausing. In the event of many vehicles arriving at once, the person to the right has the right-of-
way. Give the motorist the green light, then it's your turn. Keep an eye out for vehicles traveling
the other way in case one decides to make a left turn in front of you. No matter how sure you are
that you have the right-of-way, it is always advisable to proceed very carefully. Other motorists
can be inattentive. They might not be aware of the right-of-way laws.

For the last scenario, the motorist was stopped by a number of traffic officers who were
stationed along the street not far from the pedestrian zone. As the uncaring traffic officials detained
him, the driver expressed his dissatisfaction over the occurrence. Based from the
Interaksyon.philstar by Jeline Malasig, after a viral video allegedly exposing a traffic violation
scam using a malfunctioning lighting in Manila, the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau has denied
any involvement in the alleged "modus operandi" of the traffic violation plan. The organization
made it clear that it is not permitted to run stoplights in Manila and told the public that the Metro
Manila Development Authority is in charge of them (MMDA). Though some of the motorist
commented that the metro area's traffic enforcers are known for engaging in "kotong," or roadside
extortion, which is also known as bribes. Some of them would demand money from motorists who
had been stopped in return for letting them off the hook. Others turn to stopping drivers even when
there are no obvious infractions in order to get money or reach a predetermined "quota." Isko
Moreno, the mayor of Manila, issued a warning against paying traffic police last year and said
anyone caught breaking the law will be held accountable. He also fired an MTPB enforcer who
had been captured on a closed-circuit video camera engaging in extortion. Whether it is true or
not, we could tell that we could give them the benefit of the doubt. The state of accepting
something/someone as honest or deserving of trust even though there are doubts Either the
motorist or the enforcers might be lying, but we have to give him/them the benefit of the doubt
and accept what he/they said for now.
 RECOMMENDATION

Using thorough analysis and understanding to the case study, the researcher come up with
the following recommendation as follows:

o MMDA should fix the traffic light as soon as possible to avoid any accidents and blaming
from others fault. They should specifically fix the timer and the transition of light colors to
be interpreted accurately by the motorists and be warned to take right action. And they
should be transparent to the public about the progress report of the repairmen so the public
especially motorist should be aware what is the update and when it will be repaired to be
guided accordingly.
o To avoid this kind of scenario, MMDA should implement regular maintenance to their
traffic facilities such as traffic lights.
o Since MMDA is under the national government, the national government should also take
action to allocate budget for repairing the defected traffic lights and for the regular
maintenance of the facilities.
o Even though in this case there were no bribery and extortion happened, in the MTPB side.
They should be conducting regular training and seminars to addressed and solve the issues
I’ve mentioned. They should be pro-active to prevent those illegal acts.
o On the other side, motorist should be careful in their post in social media knowing the
negative effects to those good traffic enforcers who might lose their job with unjust
allegations. Although they are not prohibited in recording for their safety purposes,
however if they want to raise awareness to people who might be a potential victim in a real
modus, they must secure strong evidence like complete video footage in which bribery
extortion and illegal ticketing were recorded.
 CONCLUSION

The researchers identified three major problems about the magic light viral issue, mainly
the defective traffic signal light, incomplete video recording and misconception about the
responsibility. Firstly, the traffic light timer redirect to 3 seconds from 12 seconds which means
from 12 seconds green light (go) to 3 seconds caution (yellow) to stop (red). Accidents may occur
if not fixed resulting to injury or loss of lives. Secondly, video recording is cutted to only 14
seconds; it only focuses on details which contribute to negative interpretation from viewers,
specifically, the traffic light defect and the obstruction of MTPB to the motorist. It may lead to bad
image and reputation to traffic enforcer if not analyze properly. In reality, the enforcer only
manning traffic to prevent accident occurs since they are bicycle and tricycle going to cross at that
time. The MTPB Chief and the original uploader confirmed that “they were not extorted by
enforcer who flagged their cars. Thirdly, is the misconception about the responsibility, traffic lights
are under the jurisdiction of MMDA not by MTPB, while MTPB is a traffic support only, are
handled by City Government and are not responsible by the defects of traffic facility. It is important
to address those issues to be subjected to solution by each department responsible but should be
supported by the integration and cooperation of different transportation department including the
local and national government to efficiently solve the problem for the benefits of the people’s
safety convenience.
 REFERENCES

Safeopedia. (2019). Visual Display Unit. Safeopedia.Com.

https://www.safeopedia.com/definition/543/visual-display-unit

Lantz, E. (1997). Future Directions in Visual Display Systems. ACM SIGGRAPH Computer
Graphics. doi:doi:10.1145/271283.271301

Wikipedia contributors. (2022). Traffic light. Wikipedia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light?fbclid=IwAR2tfQvFwjWRKLFgIl_WeTw
Wv0NTv5QFxIeVbym-xxKOzqfDqt1TG4OeCbA

Felicio, G. P., Grepo, L. C., Reyes, V. F., & Yupingkun, L. C. (2015). Traffic light displays and
driver behaviors: A case study. Procedia Manufacturing, 3266-3273.

Jamila, H. M., & Shabadin, A. (2012). A Case Study of the Prevalence and Characteristics of Red
Light Runners in Malaysia.

Kim, C. (2019). A drivers’ guide to the traffic signal lights in the Philippines. Philkotse.Com.
https://philkotse.com/safe-driving/a-drivers-guide-to-the-traffic-signal-lights-in-the-philippines-
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