That light may never turn green if you don’t stop close enough. Here’s how to cut down the wait and avoid annoying the drivers behind you.
Now trending
The traffic light on my side street almost always turns green within 10 seconds of my arrival, setting a cheerful tone for the rest of the journey. Occasionally, however, someone stops too far back or crosses the line too far for the traffic light sensor to detect them. When that happens, I sometimes have to wait for minutes until someone else stops on the other side of the intersection and finally triggers the light.
Apparently, my frustration is a common one. In threads on Reddit and other sites, many people complain about clueless drivers, while others admit they never realized traffic light sensors existed.
“Topics like traffic light sensors often trend because they directly impact drivers, especially since myths about their functionality circulate,” says Virginia Lingham, senior vice president at infrastructure technology company WSP . “Furthermore, advances in intelligent transportation systems and the integration of connected vehicles are piquing public curiosity about how these systems work.”
If you’re curious about how traffic light sensors work, or just want to keep the flow of green lights and good vibes flowing, here’s what you need to know.
What do traffic light sensors do?
Traffic light sensors detect when a vehicle is stopped at a red light and inform the traffic light controller that a car is waiting for the light to turn green. This optimizes the time the light can remain green in busier lanes and reduces the time we have to wait at red lights.
Some traffic light sensors combine data from multiple sensors, says Xavier Sabastian, automotive expert at Way.com . This helps:
- Improve traffic flow
- Reduce car idling, save fuel and emissions
- Reduce accidents
- Adaptation to traffic changes during peak and off-peak hours
- Fix immediate bottleneck issues by updating signal timing live
“Certain sensors also automatically give priority to emergency vehicles passing through the intersection,” says Sabastian.
That light may never turn green if you don’t stop close enough. Here’s how to cut down the wait and avoid annoying the drivers behind you.
Now trending
The traffic light on my side street almost always turns green within 10 seconds of my arrival, setting a cheerful tone for the rest of the journey. Occasionally, however, someone stops too far back or crosses the line too far for the traffic light sensor to detect them. When that happens, I sometimes have to wait for minutes until someone else stops on the other side of the intersection and finally triggers the light.
Apparently, my frustration is a common one. In threads on Reddit and other sites, many people complain about clueless drivers, while others admit they never realized traffic light sensors existed.
“Topics like traffic light sensors often trend because they directly impact drivers, especially since myths about their functionality circulate,” says Virginia Lingham, senior vice president at infrastructure technology company WSP . “Furthermore, advances in intelligent transportation systems and the integration of connected vehicles are piquing public curiosity about how these systems work.”
If you’re curious about how traffic light sensors work, or just want to keep the flow of green lights and good vibes flowing, here’s what you need to know.
What do traffic light sensors do?
Traffic light sensors detect when a vehicle is stopped at a red light and inform the traffic light controller that a car is waiting for the light to turn green. This optimizes the time the light can remain green in busier lanes and reduces the time we have to wait at red lights.
Some traffic light sensors combine data from multiple sensors, says Xavier Sabastian, automotive expert at Way.com . This helps:
- Improve traffic flow
- Reduce car idling, save fuel and emissions
- Reduce accidents
- Adaptation to traffic changes during peak and off-peak hours
- Fix immediate bottleneck issues by updating signal timing live
“Certain sensors also automatically give priority to emergency vehicles passing through the intersection,” says Sabastian.
