{"id":4358,"date":"2020-03-20T12:50:30","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T12:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stoneacre.co.uk\/blog\/?p=4358"},"modified":"2025-03-20T12:26:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T12:26:19","slug":"the-history-of-traffic-lights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stoneacre.co.uk\/blog\/the-history-of-traffic-lights","title":{"rendered":"The History of Traffic Lights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Traffic lights while necessary, certainly aren\u2019t always popular. In fact, at times they can feel like a personal vendetta, especially, when you\u2019re running late and they turn to red just as you\u2019re approaching. In such circumstances, it\u2019s easy to forget the vital role traffic lights play in keeping both road users and pedestrians safer and in helping to keep traffic flowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we thought we\u2019d take a look back at the history of\ntraffic lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timeline of the History of Traffic Lights<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1868 \u2013 Traffic signals installed outside The Houses of\nParliament<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1912 \u2013 Electric police operated traffic light system created<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1914 \u2013 First electric stop-go traffic lights installed in\nCleveland, Ohio<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1919 \u2013 First three-colour traffic light system used in\nDetroit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1922 \u2013 First electrically synchronised traffic signals\ninstalled in Houston, Texas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1926 \u2013 First manually operated three-colour traffic lights\nused in Piccadilly, London<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1927 \u2013 Automatic three-colour traffic lights tested in Princes Square, Wolverhampton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"history<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The First Traffic Lights<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The very first traffic lights were introduced outside the\nHouses of Parliament in London in 1868. British railroad engineer, John Peake\nKnight, modified a signalling system from the railway for use on city streets\nto control the traffic of horse carriages and allow passengers to cross the\nroad safely. He utilised an adapted version of semaphore arms to signal during\nthe day and red and green coloured gas lights at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While initially, the system helped to improve traffic flow and improve safety for pedestrians, using gas lights proved too risky. On the night of the 2nd January 1869, the gaslight exploded and killed the policeman who was operating the lighting signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving On From Disaster<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following the unsuccessful introduction of road traffic light systems in Britain in the 1800s, things started to move up a notch in the 1900s. With the rise in popularity of the motor car, it became increasingly apparent that something was required to enhance the safety of pedestrians. Plus thanks to the advent of widespread electricity a new traffic sign system became more feasible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lester Farnsworth Wire, a Salt Lake City policeman, created\nthe very first electric traffic light system in 1912. It involved mounting a\nwooden box on a wooden pole and fitting it with two light bulbs, one dipped in\nred and the other in green. The light bulbs were then connected to the overhead\nwire used for the trolleybus, enabling them to be controlled by a switch\noperated by a nearby police officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 5th August 1914, the first fully electric traffic signal system was installed at the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. It was based on the \u2018Municipal Traffic Control System\u2019 design by James Hoge which was later patented in 1918. The Cleveland signalling system utilised four pairs of red and green lights designed in such a way that conflicting signals were impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1919 William Potts from Detroit, Michigan invented the first four-way, three-colour traffic lights introducing the amber light. While 1922 saw the first electrically synchronised traffic signals installed in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"overhead<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Reintroduction of Traffic Lights in the UK<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, the first manually operated three-colour traffic lights were first used in Piccadilly, London, in 1926. With automatic lights making their first appearance on an experimental basis in Princes Square, Wolverhampton, through November 1927. The experiment was a success as the lights became a permanent fixture in 1930.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"traffic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traffic Light Sequence<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The traffic light sequence is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n