05.08.2015 03.12.2015 by [email protected]

As you know, you can only cross the road in the places provided for this and only at the green traffic light. But traffic lights appeared at our intersections not so long ago, before the coordination traffic handled by regulators. Who owns the palm? Today, on the Birthday of the Traffic Light, we will deal with this issue.

1. Inventors of the traffic light

The first person to think of installing a traffic light at a crossroads to regulate traffic was John Peak Knight, a Londoner and specialist in railway semaphores. The first traffic light designed by him was installed in the British capital on December 10, 1868 near the Houses of Parliament.

Switching signals was carried out manually using two semaphore arrows. In a horizontal position, they signaled "stop", and lowered at an angle of 45 ° - movement with caution. So that at night it was possible to identify the signal given by the arrows, a rotating gas lamp was used, which shone red or green.

In 1910, Ernst Sirrin of Chicago developed and patented the world's first automatic traffic light switching system. His traffic lights had two inscriptions Stop and Proceed without illumination.

Just a couple of years later, in 1912, a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, whose name was Lester Wire, created the world's first electric traffic light, with two round signal lights of red and green. For unknown reasons, Vayr did not patent his invention.

The next name in traffic light history is James Hogue. On August 5, 1914, the American Traffic Light Company installed four electric traffic lights designed by Hog at the intersection of 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.

Traffic lights were equipped with two light signals - red and green, and when switching they gave a sound signal. The whole system was controlled by a policeman who sat in a specially equipped glass box at the crossroads.

Six years later - in 1920 - traffic lights were installed in Detroit and New York, on which a yellow signal appeared. The people who developed them did not know each other: William Potts from Detroit and John F. Harris from New York.

Similar traffic lights were installed in 1922 in Paris at the intersection of Rivoli Street and Sevastopol Boulevard, as well as in Hamburg at Stephansplatz Square. In 1927, the same traffic lights appeared in Wolverhampton, England.

Often, the American inventor Garrett Morgan is often mentioned as the first inventor, who in 1923 received a patent for a traffic light of an original design. The first countdown traffic lights appeared in France in 1998.

Concerning Soviet Union, the first traffic lights were installed here in the early 1930s. First, the traffic light appeared at the intersection of avenues on October 25 and the Volodarsky city of Leningrad (modern Nevsky and Liteiny avenues in St. Petersburg) on ​​January 15, 1930. In Moscow, the first traffic light began work on December 30 of the same year at the corner of Petrovka and Kuznetsky Most.

2. Types of traffic lights

The most widely used street and road traffic lights. Among them, automobile and traffic lights for pedestrians stand out - these varieties are most often found on the roads of the whole world.

Automobile traffic lights. As a rule, there are traffic lights with round signals of three generally accepted colors: red, yellow and green. The order of colors is strictly regulated. If the signals are arranged vertically, then red is always on top, and green is on the bottom. If the traffic light is horizontal, then the red signal will be located on the left, and the green one on the right. Additional sections with arrows are often hung on car traffic lights.

A yellow signal almost everywhere means this: it is allowed to pass the stop line, but it is necessary to slow down when entering a section protected by a traffic light, ready for the traffic light to switch to red. This signal can also be orange.

Traffic lights for pedestrians installed in the immediate vicinity of the established transitions. There are usually only two signals on them - forbidding and allowing. Appearance they may differ. The most common signals are in the form of a silhouette of a person - standing or walking.

In some countries, in the USA for example, the red signal is made in the form of a raised palm. Sometimes, instead of men and palms, the inscriptions "Go" and "Do not go" are used. In Oslo, two standing red human figures are used as a traffic signal forbidding pedestrians.

Why such difficulties? This is done for the convenience of people with poor eyesight, as well as for those who have difficulty with color discrimination (color blindness). In addition, traffic lights different countries equipped with an audible signal.

3. Construction

What are traffic lights made of? There are several possible designs of traffic lights. The first option is traffic lights with incandescent or halogen lamps. Their design includes:

• Lamp
• Reflector
• light filter
• Fresnel lens
• Visor.

• Matrix of LEDs
• Anti-vandal glass
• Visor.

In Russia there is a monument to a traffic light.

It was installed in Novosibirsk in 2006.

Every resident of even the smallest town remembers from childhood the lessons on traffic rules regarding the rules for crossing the road. It is human nature to grow, and many gradually turn from pedestrians into drivers. To properly drive on the road, you need to understand not only road signs and markings, but also traffic lights.

Traffic lights at the intersection

The most famous are three-color traffic lights, consisting of the following set of colors:

• Red traffic light . In a stable burning state, driving on a red traffic light is prohibited from driving on the road on which the traffic light is installed. A flashing red light also prohibits movement, but also notifies you of the imminent switching of signals. . This type of signal is most often used at a railway crossing, and on ordinary roads given goal achieved by turning on the red and yellow signals at the same time.

• Yellow traffic light . In a stable burning state, it prohibits movement in all cases, except for the situation when the driver crosses the road lane, but does not have time to slow down his vehicle before marking. In this situation, it is necessary, if possible, to leave the intersection area. A yellow flashing traffic light allows traffic, and also notifies of an unregulated intersection and a pedestrian overpass.

• What does a green traffic light mean? . In a stable burning state, it allows movement on the road lane. A green flashing traffic light also allows you to move, but also warns of the expiration of the burning time.

Also on many roads there are possible additions to the traffic light. Recently, it has become common to set timers that indicate the operating time of the enable signal. Additionally, there may be arrows that are mounted at the level of the green light either on one side or on both sides.

What do traffic lights mean

The traffic rules for various traffic signals with arrows can be characterized as follows:

For a set of a standard traffic light and one arrow, the requirements are less stringent.

So let's take a three-lane road as an example.. If the green traffic light with an arrow to the right is on, then the rules indicated in the table will apply to the central and right lanes. At the same time, standard traffic rules apply for the left lane. The inhibit signal is subject to the same restrictions. In the daytime, such an addition to the traffic light is clearly visible, but it is not always possible to see it at night. For this reason, black arrow outlines are glued to the central signal, indicating the action for a particular lane of the road. If there is no such schematic representation on the green light itself, the signal is valid for all road users, regardless of their location on the road. There are also traffic lights that have arrows instead of the usual round traffic signal. In this case, traffic control occurs only for those directions indicated by the arrows.

At night, most traffic lights turn off and they enter a flashing yellow mode. In this case, the intersection is considered unregulated and must be passed in accordance with the relevant traffic rules.

Pedestrian traffic light and bicycle crossing signal

At the traffic lights for the specified traffic participants there are only 2 sections. A person is depicted for pedestrians, and their two-wheeled transport is drawn for cyclists.. In the area of ​​pedestrian crossings, traffic lights are increasingly equipped with a timer that indicates the waiting time and the time allotted for the crossing. Additionally, for the deaf, a speaker can be installed that announces the allowed direction of the transition, as well as its beginning and end.

In some cases, if there are bicycle paths, reduced analogues of three-section road traffic lights can be used, under which a white plate with a bicycle sign is fixed.

Reverse traffic signals

These signals are used on roads of the same name, when on some lanes traffic can be carried out both in one direction and in the other direction. The direction of travel along one or another lane of the reverse road is determined by the degree of congestion for each side. The following types of signals are used:

• a red cross in the shape of the letter "X" - prohibits movement on a specific lane of a reverse road;

• yellow arrow pointing to the right - instructs the driver to change lanes to the lane located nearby on the right side;

• green arrow straight - allows traffic in this lane.

These types of roads are not widely used in the Russian Federation, so few drivers are familiar with such traffic organization.

The meaning of traffic lights for rail transport

Traffic lights for trams

For trams, a white four-cell traffic light is used, made in the form of a “T” symbol. Movement for them is allowed only when the lower signal is on, and the upper cells indicate possible directions of movement.

The railway traffic light also often has a white lamp in its arsenal, which regulates traffic through the crossing:

Traffic lights at a railroad crossing can also be both red and flash alternately. In this case, the passage is strictly prohibited. Movement is allowed only when both lamps are turned off.

Fine for non-compliance with traffic lights

For violation of the instructions of the electronic traffic controller, the following penalties are prescribed:

• red light fine- not less than 1,000 rubles, upon repeated passage to a prohibiting traffic signal, at least 5,000 rubles or deprivation of a VU for a period of 4-6 months, article 12.12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation;

• yellow traffic ticket- for the first violation threatens 1000 rubles, in case of repeated violation the fine will be 5000 rubles or deprivation of a driver's license for a period of 4 to 6 months;

• non-observance of the stop line before the intersection- not less than 800 rubles.

• when entering the reverse lane with the traffic light off- at least 5,000 rubles, because due to the traffic light working on the other side, the movement can be regarded as driving into the oncoming lane;

• in case of non-observance of rebuilding on a reverse road- not less than 500 rubles under Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

Compliance with traffic lights allows you to regulate traffic in such a way that road users are in safer and more comfortable conditions. Therefore, in order not to increase the likelihood of getting into an accident for yourself and others, you should be careful on the roads. This will help to keep intact not only your budget, but also your life.

Video: What do the traffic lights and the traffic controller and the rules of the intersection mean.

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The first thing that comes to mind at the mention of red is danger. However main reason, according to which red was chosen to prohibit movement, is visibility from a greater distance. According to Rayleigh's law, discovered in 1871, the longer the wavelength, the less light is scattered. Of all the colors available to the human eye (not counting magenta), it is red that has the maximum wavelength and is 620-740 nanometers.

Although Rayleigh scattering was discovered later than the first traffic light, the choice of red for the prohibition signal was based on experience gained in railway, after all, the inventor of the world's first automatic traffic controller, John Peak Knight, was a railway engineer.

But the first traffic light did not last long: already on January 2, 1869, the gas in the lamp exploded, seriously injuring the policeman who was driving it. Because of this incident, traffic lights in Britain were banned and reappeared on the streets of London after 60 years.

Yellow

Patent for an invention by Garrett Morgan.

According to the same Rayleigh law, yellow belongs to the "silver" in the competition for the best visibility - its wavelength is 570-590 nanometers. Orange can be seen even better, which is why yellow in modern traffic lights often has an orange tint.

The first three-color traffic light was patented by Garrett Morgan in 1923, who then sold the patent to General Electric for $40,000. According to legend, he witnessed an accident that happened on a street corner and decided that drivers did not have enough time to stop before as soon as the red light turns on, therefore, it was necessary to come up with a third, warning signal. So the traffic light turned yellow.

By the way, until the 90s of the last century, in some countries, a yellow traffic light was used instead of a red one. The fact is that at night in a poorly lit area, the red light was poorly visible to drivers. However, after the invention of LED traffic lights, red was "reanimated" and yellow was again used only as a warning signal.

Green

The wavelength of green is 495-570 nanometers, which is less than that of red and green. Therefore, it is less visible than red and yellow, but better than other primary colors available to our perception.

It is interesting that the railroad traffic lights also became the prototype of tricolor automobile traffic lights. However, the "trio" of colors was somewhat different. Red meant stop signal, green meant readiness, and white allowed movement. But it was difficult for machinists to distinguish white from the light of lanterns or stars, which led to numerous accidents. Therefore, it was decided to abandon the white color and the railway traffic light became two-colored: red forbade traffic, and green allowed it.

By the way, in some traffic lights in Japan, green is used instead of Blue colour- and all because of the fact that Japanese for a long time the same hieroglyph was used for both green and blue.

Why are the colors of the traffic lights the way they are? and got the best answer

Answer from Natalya Buldina (Mortisss)[guru]




Source: => Vita pulchra et necessaria. (lat.)

Answer from Iy[guru]
Some countries use orange instead of yellow. Signals can be placed both vertically (with the red signal always on top and green on the bottom) and horizontally (with the red signal always on the left and green on the right) . In the absence of other, special traffic lights, they regulate the movement of all types Vehicle and pedestrians. Sometimes traffic lights are supplemented with a special countdown display, which shows how long the signal will remain on. Most often, the countdown board is made for a green traffic light, but in some cases, the board also displays the remaining time of the red signal.
Almost everywhere, a red traffic light signal prohibits movement, a yellow one prohibits leaving the area protected by a traffic light, but allows the completion of its passage, and a green one allows movement. It is common, but not universal, to use a combination of red and yellow signals to indicate that the green signal is about to turn on. Sometimes a green signal turns on immediately after a red one without an intermediate yellow, but not vice versa. The details of the use of signals differ depending on the traffic regulations adopted in a particular country.
There are two sections of traffic lights - red and green. Such traffic lights are usually installed at points where cars are allowed to pass on an individual basis, for example, at border crossings, when entering or leaving a parking lot, protected area, etc.
Flashing signals may also be given, the meaning of which depends on local legislation. In Russia and in many European countries, a flashing green signal indicates an upcoming switch to yellow. Cars approaching a traffic light with a flashing green signal can take timely braking measures to avoid entering the intersection guarded by the traffic light or crossing the prohibitory signal. A flashing yellow signal requires you to slow down to pass an intersection or pedestrian crossing as unregulated (for example, at night, when regulation is not required due to low traffic) . Sometimes special traffic lights are used for these purposes, consisting of one flashing or alternately flashing two yellow sections.

Answer from Anastasia churilova[newbie]
Three colors are used in the light signaling of road transport - red, yellow and green.
For a person from time immemorial, it has developed that the color red is a signal of danger, alarm. It was fire that was always such a sign for him. Red has become a universally recognized hazard warning signal. And vice versa, the green signal has always been personified with safety, calmness, so it was natural to use it as a permissive traffic light signal.
Red rays have the longest wavelength and propagate with the least loss. Therefore, the red color is visible the farthest. The red signal is more visible and it is he who is accepted as a danger signal. This is especially important, for example, in low visibility conditions. So, fog absorbs blue and green rays, so green color in fog it can be perceived as yellow, and yellow as red. If a driver in fog mistook yellow for red and green for yellow, then such errors would not pose a danger to traffic.
In the beginning, traffic lights had a green signal at the top, but then it was agreed that the red signal was more important for drivers and pedestrians and therefore it should be more visible. It is no coincidence that recently they even began to make lenses for this signal larger than the others.

There was a time when you cross the street big city it was not easy at all. People stood on the sidewalk for a long time and waited for the end of the endless stream of horse-drawn carriages. The most impatient ran across the street, risking getting under the hooves of horses or cart wheels.

What can we say about our days, when the flow of cars rushes in several rows! How can pedestrians cross the street? But there are still cars that move in the transverse direction, and they also need to clear the road. To help road users - both pedestrians and drivers - comes traffic light. Translated from Greek traffic light - "bearer of light." It regulates traffic with the help of light signals. Most traffic lights use three colors: red, yellow and green.

Why were these traffic light colors chosen?

Red is the color of danger. It is clearly visible both during the day and at night, and in rain and fog. It is no coincidence that fire engines of all countries are painted red. They warn other road users of the danger and demand to give way to them. Here is a red traffic light forbidding traffic. It's like he's saying, "Stop! The path is closed!

Green the color is sharply different from red; they cannot be confused. Therefore, the green signal of the traffic light, unlike the red one, does not prohibit, but allows movement. He seems to say: “The way is open! Boldly forward!

Between the red and green "eyes" of the traffic light, another one was placed - yellow. He urges drivers and pedestrians to be careful, as if telling them: “Attention! Soon traffic will be either allowed or prohibited.

So traffic lights with three sections are installed in cities, in which either a red, or a yellow, or a green signal is lit. They are called three-piece. Sometimes at traffic lights, in addition to the three main color sections, additional green arrows are installed. They indicate the direction in which movement is allowed.

What other traffic lights are there?

Along with three-section traffic lights, there are also special traffic lights for pedestrians. They use only two light signals - red and green. They depict pedestrians. The red man is standing, and the green one is walking. It’s immediately clear to any pedestrian: if a red pedestrian is lit, you can’t go across the road, you have to stand. But if a green pedestrian is lit, you can cross the street.

Most often, such pedestrian traffic lights are installed in places where there is a large flow of cars and it is difficult for pedestrians to cross the road.

Remember this rhyme about traffic lights

If the red light is on -

So your path is closed!

If the yellow light is on -

"Get ready!" - He speaks.

And the green light is on

The way forward is open to you!