Where to call, the traffic light does not work? The number is indicated on the device itself. Usually this is a traffic police phone. August 5 is the International Day of Traffic Light. A traffic light is a device that is designed to regulate pedestrian and traffic flows. Usually it is installed at busy intersections and highways. It is impossible to imagine a modern city without these devices.
History of occurrence
Where to call, the traffic light does not work? In 1868, the first traffic light was installed in London. It was a large gas lantern, which shone at night with green and red light. During the day, the device gave signals using the arrows, like a regular railway semaphore. The first traffic light was invented by a semaphore specialist - J.P. Knight. The traffic light worked for only one month. The device exploded and injured the cop controlling it. Traffic lights in England have been banned for a long time. They reappeared in London only in 1927.
The first traffic lights in the United States were equipped with the words "Stop" and "Go." After a while, they were replaced with devices with electric lights.
This year marks 104 years since the day the first semi-automatic traffic light was installed in Cleveland, America. Switching lights in it was accompanied by a sound signal. The device was controlled by a policeman who was in a special booth. The electrical system was developed by inventor James Hogan.
In 1920, William Potts and John F. Harris invented a traffic light with three lights. Two years later, such devices began to be installed in European cities. Three standard colors were chosen for them: red, yellow and green. Their location in this order was strictly fixed. After all, people with color blindness can not distinguish colors. Such devices regulate the movement of motorists.
In some states, orange is used instead of yellow. When the device is horizontal, the red light is always on the left. Also, traffic lights can be equipped with additional signals in the form of arrows. For pedestrians and cyclists there are traffic lights with two signals: red and green.
Devices for cyclists are equipped with a special plate. They may have lights in the shape of a bicycle. Signals for pedestrians can also have a different shape. Most often it is a silhouette of a person. Devices are equipped with an audible warning for blind people and a countdown.
Some devices have a dedicated button. Some time after a pedestrian presses it, the green traffic light turns on. In motorsport, traffic lights are used at the start. They give signals to riders and spectators.
Traffic lights in Russia
Where to call, the traffic light does not work? The first traffic lights in the USSR were installed in Leningrad and Moscow in 1930. Their design was different from the modern one. At the top was a green signal allowing movement. Only in 1959 did the Soviet Union accede to the International Convention on Road Traffic. Devices were replaced with new ones.
LED devices
In the 1990s, the first LED traffic lights appeared. They have brighter colors. The burning of one LED does not affect the operation of the device. It loses the brightness of light gradually.
Types of Traffic Lights
Modern devices are painted only in two colors: gray and black. However, their screens may be white. Each unit is equipped with a protective coating against precipitation and corrosion. Various light sources are used to signal. It can be electric lamps or LEDs. They are placed in an aluminum or plastic case. Traffic lights according to the principle of control are divided into manual and automatic.
Device management
The mode of operation of the traffic light is configured when it is installed. Modern automatic devices are controlled by a computer that takes into account changes in traffic conditions. Special sensors analyze the change in electrical inductance caused by vehicles. System management is carried out from the situational center. The operator assesses the traffic situation with the help of surveillance cameras. Depending on the situation, it can change the mode of operation of the traffic light.
Repair and service
Traffic lights are the property of the municipality. Installation of traffic lights is coordinated with the traffic police. Every 10 days they are checked for wear and performance. In emergency mode, the device flashes yellow.
Where to call, the traffic light does not work? In case of detection of a non-working traffic light, you must call the phone number indicated on the device. Usually this is a traffic police phone. The dispatcher will accept the application and hand it over to the duty brigade of the traffic light service. Her responsibilities include the maintenance and repair of devices in a particular area.
Who serves the traffic lights? The duty team leaves the facility and opens a special controller. It indicates a malfunction in the traffic light. According to the law, the repair time should not exceed three days. Modern LED devices of domestic production are highly reliable. The most common cause of a traffic light breakdown is vandalism.
Interesting Facts
In Prague there is a traffic light that regulates the pedestrian flow on the narrowest street of the city. Only one person can pass through it.
The most sophisticated traffic light installed in Berlin. It has 13 different signals. A police officer is assigned to him, who, if necessary, explains the signals of the device to traffic participants. Also in the capital of Germany at traffic lights is a little man in a hat - Ampelmann. Souvenirs with his image are very popular. Replacing traffic lights with new ones without the usual little man on the hull caused public outrage. Soon, the authorities returned the old-style devices.
The most famous monument to the device is a traffic light tree installed in London. In Russia, traffic light monuments exist in several cities at once.
In the American city of Syracuse, there is the only traffic signal in the world with a reverse signal arrangement. It is located in the Irish quarter. The city’s authorities have repeatedly tried to replace the device with a standard one. But the inhabitants of the quarter constantly smashed the red light, if it was located above the green. In their opinion, the green color of the Irish flag should always be higher than the red British. In 1928, the reverse arrangement of colors on this device was officially fixed.
In Japan, for a long time blue was used instead of a green traffic light.
Until 2010, not a single traffic light was installed in Pyongyang. The visiting card of the capital of North Korea for a long time were the girls-regulators. Candidates for this position were specially selected.