Winter sucks. It’s freaking cold here. -15 degree windchill today, I believe. I hate it. It sucks, sucks, sucks.

And now, I’ll probably get in a deadly accident through no fault of my own:

MILWAUKEE — Cities around the country that have installed energy-efficient traffic lights are discovering a hazardous downside: The bulbs don’t burn hot enough to melt snow and can become crusted over in a storm – a problem blamed for dozens of accidents and at least one death.

“I’ve never had to put up with this in the past,” said Duane Kassens, a driver from West Bend who got into a fender-bender recently because he couldn’t see the lights. “The police officer told me the new lights weren’t melting the snow. How is that safe?”

Many communities have switched to LED bulbs in their traffic lights because they use 90 percent less energy than the old incandescent variety, last far longer and save money. Their great advantage is also their drawback: They do not waste energy by producing heat.

Good job with this one, hippies. Polar bears and electricity bills get saved (Wisconsin saves $750,000 a year with the LED traffic lights), but what about the guy who gets t-boned by a Hummer because they can’t see the red light through all that snow?

From the Huffington Post: LED Traffic Lights That Can’t Melt Snow Are Blamed In 1 Death, At Least 12 Accidents