Did traffic lights or cars come first?

[VonAdalynn]

From the perspective of whether transportation tools or traffic control signals came first, traffic lights should have preceded vehicles. The origin of traffic lights: The world's first coal-illuminated traffic signal was put into use in London on December 9, 1868. However, its construction and use were originally intended to prevent horse-drawn carriage congestion. This traffic signal combined three arm signals and used red and green gas lamps for nighttime operation, with a police officer operating it via a control lever on the lamp post. The first electric-powered traffic light was developed by an American police officer in 1912, which also only used red and green lights. The origin of automobiles: As for the world's first recognized automobile, it is generally defined by the date when Karl Benz, one of the founders of Mercedes-Benz, obtained the world's first automobile engine patent. This date was January 29, 1886. Therefore, even before the existence of cars, the earliest form of traffic lights had already emerged with the original intention of maintaining orderly traffic and avoiding congestion.