Special traffic lights with a system that notifies visually impaired people what signal is currently being shown through auditory guidance on their smartphones are gradually being set up across Japan.
The National Police Agency (NPA) aims to implement the system nationwide to reduce visually impaired pedestrians’ concerns. Their efforts to make travel across intersections safer are gathering attention.
The traffic lights employ advanced Pedestrian Information and Communication Systems (PICS), which use radio communication equipment attached to traffic light poles to issue auditory guidance on smartphones that informs pedestrians of the colour of traffic signals.