This Article was written and compiled by Peter Wendt
Since 1868, when the first traffic light was installed in London, these devices have undergone many changes. In both design and function, traffic lights - which are also known as stop lights and traffic signals - have evolved significantly over the last century. Although their looks have changed, these devices have always been used for the purpose of keeping everyone on the road safe, and signaling when it was time for the traffic to continue on its way.
Early Designs
The first traffic signals were more like railway signals, and had red and green arms as signals. They used gas to remain illuminated at night, and this gas caused some of them to explode and be rendered useless, as well as injure or kill some of the operators. These gas powered signals lasted for almost 45 years, until the modern electric version was invented in America by a policeman in Utah.
These signals in Utah were followed by a traffic signal system in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914, and a four way stop system in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. These systems were even more modernized than the one in Utah, with Cleveland's containing an alert buzzer to signal color changes, as well as a control feature for Police and Firemen, and Detroit's being the very first four way signal containing three colored lights. Also at this time, people were developing ways to control the systems in order to take care of multiple intersections simultaneously.
Modern Traffic Signals
In 1917, a manually operated system was installed in Utah, taking care of six intersections. Only a few years later in 1922, Houston, Texas, an all automatic version was installed on the streets. During this time of invention in the United States, England was also working on new designs for their traffic signals. 1927 saw the introduction of experimental automatic signals in Wolverhampton, but four years earlier, a man named George Morgan had patented his own version, which was a manually operated T-shaped pole with three different signals - stop, go, and all vehicle stop.
From there, many advancements were made throughout the years, but the next large breakthrough came with the computerization of many systems in Toronto, Canada. The first city in the world to use such technology to control its traffic signal system, this event occurred in 1963, with many other cities following. By the 1990s, another new addition to traffic signals - countdown timers - had been added to many of the lights. These help by giving both drivers and pedestrians an indication of whether or not they have time to advance through the intersection before the lights change.
With the changes in transportation throughout the years, it has been imperative for traffic signals to keep up with the times, and remain easily distinguishable to those on the roadways. As people continue to learn and come up with new ideas and technology, it is likely that the designs - and functions - of these traffic lights will continue to evolve.
Peter Wendt is a freelance article writer residing in the Austin TX area. He is interested in topics including the evolution of technology in society and how it affects people - traffic lights are the cause of many of today's injuries. Through thorough research and other recommendations, he recommends these Houston injury attorneys to get you back on track with your normal life.
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