A brief history of the traffic light and why we need a new colour
Al Jazeera
The first design in 1868 blew up in a gas explosion, and the modern design has barely changed in 100 years. Now, self-drive vehicles may need a fourth colour.
The universally known traffic light has not experienced a significant redesign in almost 100 years, ever since William Pott, a Detroit police officer, created the first three-section traffic light in the United States in 1921. Now, say experts, the rise of driverless cars means that a new set of safety guidelines is needed to ensure they interact correctly with traffic signals.
Traffic lights around the world typically use red, amber and green lights to signal to drivers whether they should stop, go or get ready to either stop or go at intersections and pedestrian crossings. Ali Hajbabaie, a North Carolina State University (NCSU) engineering professor, is leading a team to design a traffic system that considers how driverless cars respond to traffic signals.
Hajbabaie told The Associated Press news agency that he proposes adding another light – possibly a white one.
Traffic signals are about more than just safety. They enable better traffic flow, leading to less congestion, and can also be beneficial to the economy when people waste less time and fuel on the roads.
According to the 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard by INRIX, a company that creates products and services related to the transport industry and autonomous vehicles, the combined cost to the economy of road congestion in the United Kingdom, Germany and the US was $2.2bn. Traffic lights make a significant contribution to keeping this cost down.
