Q: When in traffic directly behind a large truck, especially at intersections, James Hammond, who lives in the unincorporated Cumberland area southeast of Black Diamond, says he finds it nearly impossible to see whether traffic lights ahead are green or red. That's because so many traffic signals in this state are overhead.

Maybe the view, in his view, wouldn't be so bad if traffic lights were installed on posts to the sides of streets, as well as overhead in the intersection. He has often wondered if the state has any plans to adopt a law requiring changes in signal placement.

"Having them only overhead is dangerous, as people stick to the back of the large trucks and assume that the light is still green when going through," he said.

Take, for example, an almost-completed intersection in an area known as Four Corners in Maple Valley, on Kent-Kangley Road. Technically, the intersecting roads are both state highways — Highway 169 and Highway 516 — which are in the process of being widened. There's also a quarry nearby.

Hammond believes that's a dangerous intersection because of so many large, slow-moving gravel trucks coming and going to the quarry, and traffic through the road construction project. He wouldn't be surprised if that intersection didn't have a high accident record.

He's noticed that in California, turn arrows are visible both overhead and to the side at intersections, "and that makes it much safer."

A: Rick Roberts, the state Department of Transportation's King (County) Area traffic engineer, says he's not aware of any proposals to require additional traffic signals on the sides of roadways to go along with overhead signals. Side signals would add significant costs to construction and routine operations if they were required everywhere, he said.

"We have selectively installed signals on the sides of intersections in locations where they are merited," he said. Side signals can be found in places where the state figures there are sight problems caused by a curve in the road.

"If drivers can't see the signals because of a large vehicle or other obstruction," said Roberts, "we ask that they keep additional space between them and the vehicle in front of them so they have time to stop safely if the signal turns red."

Roberts said the state hadn't considered that particular intersection (Highways 169 and Highway 516) a high-accident location. Yet, a Web site that describes the highway construction project (www.ci.maple-valley.wa.us/projects/four_corners.asp) states that the Four Corners intersection presently experiences a high number of accidents, with most of them being rear-end or side swipe accidents. About 50 accidents with property damage and injury are reported annually at that spot, according to Maple Valley's city Web page.