Which came first in the world, cars or traffic lights?
2 Answers
The traffic light came first. The first country to use traffic lights in the world was the United Kingdom, located on the road in front of the London Parliament. The time of use was 1868, when the traffic lights had two colors: red, representing no passage, and green, representing permission to proceed. Below is relevant information about traffic lights: Traffic lights, also known as Traffic Signal Lights, are signs indicating whether vehicles and pedestrians can pass. Location: They are usually set up at intersections and other places requiring traffic control, generally consisting of red, green, and yellow lights. The red light means no passage, the green light means permission to pass, and the yellow light means a warning. Categories of traffic lights: Common categories include motor vehicle signal lights, non-motor vehicle signal lights, pedestrian crossing signal lights, direction indicator lights (arrow signal lights), and flashing warning signal lights.
As a seasoned driver with years of experience, I've always been fascinated by the history of transportation. Believe it or not, traffic lights predate automobiles by quite a bit. The world's first traffic light appeared in London, England, in 1868, which was gas-powered and specifically designed for horse-drawn carriages at the time. But did you know? That gas lamp exploded in an accident not long after, so it didn't catch on. Later, in 1886, Karl Benz invented the first practical automobile. Once cars appeared, chaos ensued on the roads, with frequent accidents. So, around 1912, the U.S. improved traffic lights by introducing an electric version, which was officially installed and used in 1914. This entire evolution was actually driven by societal needs. Even in the earlier era of horse-drawn carriages, traffic congestion was an issue, and the birth of traffic lights paved the way for safety. When I'm driving, I often think how cities would be a complete mess without these traffic lights. History always works this way—as tools advance, rules must keep up. After cars became widespread, traffic light systems grew smarter, evolving from manual to automatic and now to AI coordination, helping to reduce collision accidents. Looking back, these inventions have saved countless lives.
