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Traffic Light Viewer

I don't recall having this problem as badly in other places I have lived, but there is a consistent phenomenon in Florida, specifically in the Orlando area, with traffic lights. If I happen to be the first one at a red traffic signal, all too often, the lights are positioned way above the roof line. I constantly have to lean forward to see if the light has changed. This is even worse if I am trusting the roof line to block the sun from melting my corneas.

At some point I made a connection and recalled a prism sold in a catalog that was described to address this problem. The prism, as I remember, was an elongated triangular form with either windshield or dashboard mounts on each end. Armed with that memory, I typed keywords into Google and eBay and ran across a device described as an Economy Traffic Light Viewer. The products was sold by an

eBay Seller with a price of $8.75 including shipping. Considering the small risk and not expecting too much, I went ahead and placed an order.

Within a short time, a padded envelope arrived. The envelope was clearly marked "Fragile", but just the same, the item arrived in a broken condition. It is made of plastic. One of the two mount brackets had snapped off and was loose in the small bag. I was surprised how small the item was, by the way. It weighs virtually nothing and is essentially has a footprint of two inches square.

I contacted the eBay Seller about the damage and without delay he shipped a replacement. The second one arrived in a box and was completely intact.

Now the real challenge got started. Silly me. I assumed some sort of instructions would recommend an ideal placement to mount the device and describe the image I might expect to see. The unusual shape did not offer an intuitive explanation. I did not know if it is mounted to the dashboard or the windshield or with the suction cup above or below. After a lot of embarrassing experiments, I finally discovered that the ideal position was at the top of the windshield and horizontally center to my viewing area.

Some people will undoubtedly find the necessary placement to be an obstruction, but I found it as easy to get used to as a new pair of glasses. Once in place, I can now easily see traffic signals that are above the roof line. In the image above, I am situated in a left turn lane. I am properly stopped at the white line to trigger the left turn arrow and I have left plenty of room for the crosswalk. However, unless I lean way forward, I have no idea what the condition of the traffic light signal.

However the new Traffic Light Viewer provides a distorted, yet crystal clear view of the traffic lights above the roof line of my truck. I can remain relaxed in my seat and still see any signal activity while waiting for long lights.

Time will tell how long the device lasts in the Florida sun and heat. It certainly won't be worth the bother if it doesn't remain secure and functional. In the meantime, however, I like it and give it a thumbs up!

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