Observatory
ResourcesSubmissions
About
Contact
Departments
AudioBooks
Collections
Dialogues
Eric Baker's Today
Essays
Events
Gallery
Interviews
Miscellaneous
Opinions
Poetry
Primary Sources
Projects
Reviews
Slideshows
Video
Topics
AdvertisingArchitecture
Art
Books
Branding
Business
Cities / Places
Community
Culture
Design History
Design Practice
Ecology
Economy
Education
Fashion
Film / Video
Food/Agriculture
Global / Local
Graphic Design
Health / Safety
History
Ideas
Illustration
Info Design
Infrastructure
Internet / Blogs
Journalism
Landscape
Literature
Magazines
Media
Museums
Music
Nature
Obituary
Other
Peace
Photography
Poetry
Politics / Policy
Popular Culture
Product Design
Public Art
Religion
Reputations
Science
Social Enterprise
Sports
Sustainability
Technology
Theory/Criticism
Transportation
TV / Radio
Typography
Urbanism
Red Light, Green Light : The Invention of the Traffic Signal
Lester Wire, with his two color traffic signal
The traffic signal was first invented in 1912 — by a Detroit policeman named Lester Wire — as a two-color, red-and-green light with a buzzer to warn pedestrians ahead of the impending transition. In 1920, this basic design was modified (by another policeman named William Potts) to include the tri-colored red, amber, and green lights widely used today. This simple, three-color icon has endured for nearly a century with relatively little change, save for the incorporation of modern technologies such as automatic timers, diode lights and motion sensors. The core of the three-color traffic remains true to the initial vision of two smart American policemen.
At the beginning of the 20th century, automobiles were just beginning to gain popularity in the streets of Detroit (where Potts worked) and traffic was becoming much busier as a result. Cars were relatively new and there were few rules at that time governing their use in the streets. The initial idea for the traffic light came from Potts’ experience working as a police officer directing traffic, and several elements contribute to the success of his design.
The traffic signal was first invented in 1912 — by a Detroit policeman named Lester Wire — as a two-color, red-and-green light with a buzzer to warn pedestrians ahead of the impending transition. In 1920, this basic design was modified (by another policeman named William Potts) to include the tri-colored red, amber, and green lights widely used today. This simple, three-color icon has endured for nearly a century with relatively little change, save for the incorporation of modern technologies such as automatic timers, diode lights and motion sensors. The core of the three-color traffic remains true to the initial vision of two smart American policemen.
At the beginning of the 20th century, automobiles were just beginning to gain popularity in the streets of Detroit (where Potts worked) and traffic was becoming much busier as a result. Cars were relatively new and there were few rules at that time governing their use in the streets. The initial idea for the traffic light came from Potts’ experience working as a police officer directing traffic, and several elements contribute to the success of his design.
First, Potts design chose colors that are psychologically associated with the message they are meant to transmit. Red is classically seen as a color representing danger or caution. (There are countless phrases and idioms that use “red” as a message of the bad or unknown — “in the red,” “seeing red,” and “red herring,” among others.) Green, on the other hand, is a reassuring color in most cultures — the color of nature and growth; of harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has a strong emotional correspondence with the idea of safety, and was intuitively chosen to guide pedestrians responsibly through an intersection. Second, the traffic light could be counted on to communicate with multiple cars headed in multiple directions simultaneously. Potts’ design did not require any audio signals, so that wind, horns or other city noises would not interfere with the message being conveyed by the traffic control device. The four-direction design could transmit four simultaneous messages to the oncoming traffic, which was a noted improvement over the two-message maximum that a well-coordinated policeman could manage.
Finally, the traffic light reduced the workload of policemen by eliminating the dangerous job of controlling busy intersections. This allowed policemen to concentrate on other tasks like dispensing traffic violation tickets for impatient motorists who ran red lights. Following the success of the traffic light in Detroit, Garrett Morgan patented the design in 1923. It was later purchased by General Electric. GE then began building and marketing traffic lights for a national market. Nearly a century later, the traffic light remains as central to the life and safety of modern drivers and pedestrians as it ever was.
A patent drawing of Garrett Morgan's traffic signal
Comments (9) | JUMP TO MOST RECENT COMMENT >>
Fun and educational read, thanks!
I like what they do in Europe (or do they still?)
When a light is about to turn yellow, the yellow AND green both come on. This gives you a heads up to hit the gas or get ready to stop. Then, when it does turn yellow, you are supposed to slow to stop. (I think the yellow only is shorter as a consequence which makes it easier to know, you ain’t gonna make it!)
They also have a yellow come on during red to alert you the light is about to turn green. I don't like this as it simply encourages green only jumpers and potential collisions. (At least it would in the U.S.)
People of Earth, any other variations that work better than just 3 colors?
When a light is about to turn yellow, the yellow AND green both come on. This gives you a heads up to hit the gas or get ready to stop. Then, when it does turn yellow, you are supposed to slow to stop. (I think the yellow only is shorter as a consequence which makes it easier to know, you ain’t gonna make it!)
They also have a yellow come on during red to alert you the light is about to turn green. I don't like this as it simply encourages green only jumpers and potential collisions. (At least it would in the U.S.)
People of Earth, any other variations that work better than just 3 colors?
Nice article! I'm working on a self initiated project, now in a very early stage; called Collective Waiting Portrait, collecting a landscape of global 'portraits' of people that coincidentially form a 'classic' school class photograph. The tricky thing here is when taking a picture, not being noticed by the crowd in front of you; if anyone wants to contribute, it's very welcome! http://www.collectivewaitingportrait.net
It's interesting that when something is so ingrained a part of our lives and has been around as long as the stoplight, we rarely think of it as something that had to be designed. What a successful solution to have lasted so long!
Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for the reminder!
I like that the impatient were called motorists and not drivers.
As a road safety person with two twitters @harveyhelmet and @s_i_n_s I appreciate a good understanding that doing it wrong is not driving. Having said that, the design itself, after modest modifications has become almost more dangerous that a stop sign. The concept of the countdown timer for pedestrian signals in combination has created a "beat the timer" attitude, by both pedestrians and cars. Most do not know, the push button actually lengthens crossing time by telling the intersection people are present. You can find busy streets of 8 lanes across and only 30s to get across, which is nearly impossible unless you won the 100m at a track & field event. Please visit my website www.johnrossharvey.com where I talk about the events causing traffic fatalities in my locality.
Signals are good, if they are observed, & obeyed. Sadly they are often not.
As a road safety person with two twitters @harveyhelmet and @s_i_n_s I appreciate a good understanding that doing it wrong is not driving. Having said that, the design itself, after modest modifications has become almost more dangerous that a stop sign. The concept of the countdown timer for pedestrian signals in combination has created a "beat the timer" attitude, by both pedestrians and cars. Most do not know, the push button actually lengthens crossing time by telling the intersection people are present. You can find busy streets of 8 lanes across and only 30s to get across, which is nearly impossible unless you won the 100m at a track & field event. Please visit my website www.johnrossharvey.com where I talk about the events causing traffic fatalities in my locality.
Signals are good, if they are observed, & obeyed. Sadly they are often not.
Artwork by my lovely wife, the artist Sheila Klein, from 1992, a wedding ring and necklace made from traffic signals.
http://www.sheilaklein.com/pages/urband.htm
http://www.sheilaklein.com/pages/traffic.htm
http://www.sheilaklein.com/pages/urband.htm
http://www.sheilaklein.com/pages/traffic.htm
Check out the "Color Correction Experience" on Youtube.com This award winning Art documentary further explores the traffic light and signage in general. Have you ever been stopped in the name of Art?
With a little research you would have found out that "the traffic light" was invented in England in 1868, only an electrified version was developed by the Americans.
Design Observer encourages comments to be short and to the point; as a general rule, they should not run longer than the original post. Comments should show a courteous regard for the presence of other voices in the discussion. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that do not adhere to this standard.
Read Complete Comments Policy >>
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Badon received her MD at the Yale School of Medicine and and MBA at the Yale School of Management after doing her undergraduate majors in Biochemistry and Studio Art at Clark University. She is currently an intern in Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Teaching Hospital in Boston, MA.More Bio >>
ADS VIA THE DECK
DESIGN OBSERVER JOBS
RELATED POSTS
Compulsion: Where Object Meets Anxiety
At the age of 30, my brother turned to our mother and said, “I never thought I’d make is this far.” In his early 20s, he was officially diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
06.14.10 at 12:12