First responders in St. Charles County will increase safety and better their response times without having to fight traffic to get to an emergency.
The county is the first in the state to roll out a county-wide synchronization to aid first responders navigating through busy intersections.
“When it comes to traffic, you can’t just fix the problem in one city,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann. “People are going to drive from one city to the next, so lets synchronize all the lights.”
Both state and locally owned traffic signals will be part of the new program, which allows sensors at traffic lights to communicate with those installed in emergency vehicles. When a police car, ambulance or fire truck activates its lights and sirens, the sensors communicate and allow for a green light, while stopping cross traffic with a red light.