On an October evening when the days had grown shorter, a foreign friend pointed at the ground in front of a crosswalk and asked me. "Why is the traffic light glowing on the ground?" ## Why Lights Were Put at Our Feet People who walk while looking at their phones are called "smombies." It's a word that combines smartphone and zombie. When you walk with your head down, it's easy to miss the traffic light ahead. So some crosswalks have small lights built into the pavement. When the light is red, the ground looks red too, and when it turns green, the ground turns green. The idea is to let a little color reach the eyes of people who have been staring at their screens. ## Easier to see on autumn evenings During the day, the ground lights are hard to see because of the sunlight. But in autumn it's already dark by the time people leave work, so they show up clearly. It also helps when your umbrella blocks your view ahead on a rainy day. ## The yellow marking is for the kids At crosswalks near school zones, you can see yellow markings. They're meant to keep children waiting one step back from the road, and to help drivers see the children clearly. If there's a yellow marking, just wait behind it. However, not every crosswalk has this kind of marking. They're installed in only a limited number of places, so you needn't be surprised when there isn't one, and you shouldn't cross trusting that there is one. Even if the lights on the ground are green, look up and check for cars once before you cross. You can find out where they are on your local district office's website.