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Los Angeles international airport (LAX) is to install a new system designed to reduce the risk of runway incursions.

A runway incursion is the unauthorised presence of a plane or vehicle on a landing strip when another aircraft is coming in to land or taking off.

The new system being installed at LAX essentially uses stop lights, which inform a pilot of when they need to hold their position.

Announcing the agreement to bring the technology to Los Angeles, Robert Sturgell of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said: 'It will significantly boost runway safety without reducing capacity or adding to controller workload.'

Mr Sturgell claimed that the reasoning behind the initiative was 'simple'.

'Drivers have stop lights to guide them. Why not pilots? Well now they will,' he said.

The runway status light system is already in use at airports including Dallas Fort Worth and San Diego, where it has reportedly been a success.

Describing the technology as 'one more layer of defence', Mr Sturgell said that the primary approach LAX needs to take to boost safety is to improve the layout of the airport.

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