Traffic lights, also known as traffic signals, traffic lamps, traffic semaphore, signal lights, stop lights, robots (in South Africa and most of Africa ), and traffic control signals (in technical parlance), are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations to control flows of traffic.
The world 's first traffic light was short lived. It was a manually operated gas- lit signal installed in London in December 1868. It exploded less than a month after it was implemented, injuring its policeman operator. Traffic control started to seem necessary in the late 1890s and Earnest Sirrine from Chicago patented the first automated traffic control system in 1910. It used the words "STOP" and "PROCEED", although neither word lit up.
Traffic lights alternate the right of way accorded to users by displaying lights of a standard colour ( red, amber ( yellow ), and green ) following a universal colour code. In the typical sequence of colour phases:
The green light allows traffic to proceed in the direction denoted, if it is safe to do so and there is room on the other side of the intersection.
The amber ( yellow ) light warns that the signal is about to change to red. In a number of countries – among them the United Kingdom – a phase during which red and yellow are displayed together indicates that the signal is about to change to green.
