Skip to main content

Zitek melts barriers to North American market

South Korean company Zitek is launching its heated LED traffic signal solution in the US and Canadian markets—meeting with distributors and DoTs while waiting for its ITE certification. It’s just in time, as climate change is creating more dangerous wintery weather across North America. As state DoTs have switched from incandescent bulbs to LED traffic lights to save energy and maintenance costs, an unintended consequence has been that the low-wattage bulbs do not get hot enough to melt snow that accumul
June 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Soyoung Lee of Zitek
South Korean company Zitek is launching its heated LED traffic signal solution in the US and Canadian markets—meeting with distributors and DoTs while waiting for its ITE certification. It’s just in time, as climate change is creating more dangerous wintery weather across North America.


As state DoTs have switched from incandescent bulbs to LED traffic lights to save energy and maintenance costs, an unintended consequence has been that the low-wattage bulbs do not get hot enough to melt snow that accumulates on the signals.

Enter Zitek and its new LED traffic signal. Called MeltSmart, the signal includes an automatic heating element that kicks on as a photo-electric sensor detects coverage while a thermal sensor ensures the blockage isn’t caused by some other obstruction like pollen, litter or plant matter. The heating element raises the surface temperature of the lens in seconds and then automatically turns off when the snow melts.

“By providing drivers and pedestrians with clear visibility of the signals, MeltSmart greatly contributes to avoid traffic accidents and possible loss of life in snowy weather conditions,” said Soyoung Lee, the company’s CEO. “With the unique patented technology, Zitek strives to help protect lives and build safer roads worldwide.”

While DoTs will need to rip out and replace existing traffic signals with Zitek’s MeltSmart signals, Lee said that the additional cost—which runs about 15% more than existing signals—can be recouped through a reduction in traffic accidents, their response and fewer complaints. And with replacement cycles turning over every several years, she doesn’t see deployment as a major roadblock.

Related Content

  • December 20, 2022
    Arizona dust settles with Vaisala
    PWD10 visibility sensors and RWS200 system make driving safer on wind-blown highway
  • April 2, 2019
    Deaths of US pedestrians rise sharply, says GHSA report
    Pedestrian deaths across the US have risen to their highest number in nearly 30 years. Many factors are responsible - including the rise and rise of SUVs - according to a worrying new GHSA report ore pedestrians died on US roads last year than in any year since 1990. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) suggests that 6,227 pedestrians were killed in 2018 – a 4% increase on 2017. Pedestrian deaths as a percentage of total motor vehicle crash deaths increased from 12% in 2008 to 16% in 2017, whi
  • February 20, 2019
    CES 2019 says hello to the future
    The launch of the latest gadgets has made the Consumer Electronics Show into tech heaven for geeks worldwide – but there is a serious ITS component, too. Ben Spencer braves the bright lights of Las Vegas to find out more The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been the showcase for some of the world’s most iconic gadgets – from VCRs to the Commodore 64, and from the camcorder to the launch of HDTV. This has made CES a mecca for tech heads all over the world since it began in the 1960s, but these days it
  • August 15, 2019
    USDoT’s NETT is welcome – but Toyota unhappy at V2X development
    The US Department of Transportation has announced a new council to champion emerging mobility tech – but one car manufacturer is currently not feeling that such support is everything it might be The announcement of a brand new body to champion autonomous vehicles (AVs) - among other innovations – is a potentially welcome development for mobility and transit providers. Elaine L. Chao, US secretary of transportation, says that the newly-created Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (NETT)