Tel Aviv light strips save cell phone users from entering traffic

The LED strips embedded in the pavement light up to alert pedestrians caught up in their Candy Crush Saga game to when it is safe to cross.

By Tofi Stoler, Calcalist

Can’t get your eyes off your smartphone? Tel Aviv has got you covered with traffic light strips embedded into sidewalks, so you will never have to look up again.

New pedestrian street lights have recently been installed on the pavements of a major intersection of Ibn Gabirol Street, one of the city’s busiest traffic routes. The move is part of a pilot program, which the city intends to expand to additional junctions in the future, according to a statement released by the city Wednesday.

The embedded LED strips light up in green and red in accordance with existing traffic lights to alert pedestrians caught up in their Candy Crush Saga game to when it is safe or unsafe to cross.

Similar pavement street lights have previously been installed in several cities worldwide including Sydney, Chengde, China, and the Dutch city of Bodegraven.