Did you learn the poem in preschool or early elementary school?

Red means stop.
Green means go.
Yellow means wait,
even if you're late.

Well, they may have to revise it soon as there's a 4th color that was recently introduced to some traffic signals around the United States.

What is the new color, and why?

What is the new color on the traffic light?

In some major cities they're testing out a new white light at the bottom of the traffic signal.

This is more for self-driving cars.

When we drive up to an intersection, let's say, on the corner of 56th and Chestnut where there's a 4 way stop, we know when it's our turn to go next. Or if it's at the same time of a 4-way stop and you're waiting for them to go but they give you the 'go ahead' so you graciously accept, that's fine because we're the ones behind the wheel.

But what if there's nobody behind the wheel?

610 KONA logo
Get our free mobile app

It's proposed that this white light would be for self-driving cars when more than one self-driving car is at an intersection. It would quickly decide which car should go first to keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

There is a new white light that went into a town in New York for busses. This could be the start for that to introduce these to traffic lights.

As more and more self-driving cars are getting on the roads I and the fact you'd need to change every traffic light, this may be a project that takes years, maybe even decades. Definitely bigger cities first so how long it'd take to get to Yakima, I'm not sure.

I mean, have you seen some of the other drivers? I wish some people would stop driving and let the robots take over.

It's something to look out for in the future.

LOOK: 50 cozy towns to visit this winter

Stacker created a list of 50 cozy American towns to visit each winter. Towns were selected based on visitor opinions, ratings from nationwide publications, and tourist attractions.

Gallery Credit: Laura Ratliff

LOOK: This is where homes are selling the fastest right now

Stacker compiled a list of the metros where houses are selling the fastest, according to data from Redfin.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: 25 must-visit hidden gems from across the US

From secret gardens to underground caves, Stacker compiled a list of 25 must-visit hidden gems from across the United States using travel guides, news articles, and company websites.

Gallery Credit: Abby Monteil

LOOK: Here's where people in every state are moving to most

Stacker analyzed the Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey data to determine the three most popular destinations for people moving out of each state.

Gallery Credit: Amanda Silvestri

More From 610 KONA