First Traffic Signal: Today, it is hard to imagine that traffic in the city can run smoothly without traffic signals.

Red, yellow and green lights do the job of disciplining millions of vehicles every day very quietly. However, the history of how this traffic signal started its journey is very interesting.

The world’s first traffic signal was installed on 8 December 1868 at Westminster, outside the British Parliament in London. This experiment was done as a solution to the traffic jams caused by the increasing number of horse carts.

The signal was designed by railway engineer John Peake Knight. He used the concept of railway signaling system for road transport.

This first signal was very different from today’s modern electric signals. It was gas powered.

At night, vehicles were signaled by lighting red and green colored gas lamps. It had no bulbs, no wiring and no automatic timer. So this system became very dangerous.

This signal was operated entirely manually. A police officer stood near the signal and controlled it with a lever.

Semaphore arms were used to give signals during the day. Arms horizontal meant ‘stop’ and arms down at 45 degrees meant ‘caution’.

Signals in those days did not have yellow lights like today. Only two colors were used, red and green. But this experiment did not last long.

On 2 January 1869, a gas leak caused an explosion in the signal and seriously injured the police officer operating the signal. The system was then shut down.

Almost 45 years later, in 1914, the world’s first electric traffic signal was installed in the American city of Cleveland.

This system laid the foundation for the automated, color-coded traffic signals used worldwide today. The journey from simple gas lamps to today’s smart AI-based signals is truly astounding.