DOVER, Del. --- Have you ever wished that green traffic light would stay green, just a couple seconds longer?

Drivers passing through Ellendale by means of U.S. Route 113 may have noticed the light cycle taking just a little longer to switch from green to yellow --- if they're approaching the intersection with State Route 16.

That's because the Delaware Department of Transportation has installed a radar device that recognizes when a yellow light might cause some drivers traveling at highway speeds to apply a hard brake and risk getting rear-ended.

"You're unsure about how long that yellow light is going last," said DelDOT spokesman C.R. McLeod, who noted some drivers may opt to drive faster when they see a yellow light and risk running a stop signal.

DelDOT's new radar device is aimed at reducing crashes both in and around intersections by identifying when drivers are in the so-called "dilemma zone," a stretch of road where a yellow light could prompt a driver traveling at highway speeds to either jam on the brakes or push down on the accelerator to try beating a stop signal.

"It will determine if it will extend the green light by a couple of seconds to allow you to safely move through the intersection without having that possibility of getting into an accident --- either a rear-end collision or an across the intersection collision."

The system is being tested at the Ellendale intersection and could be installed at other busy intersections across the state. It typically notifies drivers using warning lights near intersections that a yellow signal is about to occur.

Barbara Rabin of Bethesda, Maryland --- a frequent visitor to Sussex County --- thinks the expanded use of the radar devices could help motorists avoid harmful crashes.

"I think people hesitate too much, whether to brake, which could be dangerous, or push down on that gas pedal," she said.

Other drivers like Victoria Rioux of Sussex County felt the technology could be helpful --- so long as it works properly.

"With power outages and everything else technology always has a chance to fail so it could go either way," she said.

McLeod said power outages would likely mean traffic lights are dark as well, a scenario that prompts drivers to use the intersection differently, anyway.

Additionally, McLeod said that intersections would function normally if the device is not properly working.

Other intersections where similar devices could be placed will be identified by DelDOT, pending results from the traffic light system at the Ellendale intersection.