A History of Traffic Lights

Traffic lights might incur mixed emotions from different people – Pedestrians are likely to be fond, allowing them safe passage across busy roads, whereas on the other hand we all know at least one impatient driver who gets aggravated by traffic lights.

So where did the traffic lights begin? Oddly enough the traffic light is an English invention – The first instance of using signals to control traffic priorities occurred on December 1968, outside the Houses of Parliament in London, to ease the congestion – Although in these days, it was horse-drawn carriages that were causing the congestion!

Taking the idea from train crossings, the original traffic light was gas-powered and it wasn’t until 1926 that the first electric traffic lights were installed in London, changing the way traffic was controlled forever.

Safe driving from Britannia!