Red lights: they're the bane of a driver's existence. Without them, however, we'd be living in chaos. Routine runs to the grocery store would look like demolition derbies. Car insurance would be something only billionaires could afford. Not a reality I'd care to live in, frankly.

And so, as willing participants in the driving game, we all agree to tolerate red lights... but not all red lights are created equal. Some are more infuriating than others, whether its because of a bewildering placement, or because certain ones just take too damn long.

HOW IS THE LENGTH OF RED LIGHTS DETERMINED?

The length of red lights is typically determined via traffic engineers who consider a combination of factors, including traffic volume, traffic flow, speed limits, pedestrian traffic and general safety considerations. But of course, as one person commented on Quora:

'Optimal' timings are like Bigfoot. Everyone seems to have their own idea of what they look like, and a few people claim to have seen them in action, but in reality, there is no single answer.

I recently polled Facebook to ask people about their most hated red light in all of Utica. Some were fairly universal (*ahem* Consumer Square *ahem*) and the ones I couldn't immediately picture I pulled up on Google Maps and I was like, "Oh yeah, THAT one. Screw that one!"

So keep scrolling below and get ready to feel the pulse of frustration, as we look at Utica's top 5 most maddening red lights: