Traffic Light Question....INTERESTING!!!

[andyman]

arnt all of them just pressure plated now and when its at night etc with no traffic it just changes to a defult setting until someone hits the sensors

 

[4PLAYN]

Yeah and my dad used to fool me when I was about 6 years old into believing he had magic powers by clapping at them and they'd go green also...little did I know then he was just counting to 3 slowly when he saw the lights go red for the cars crossing in the opposite direction.

BAHAHAHAHA my dad used to do the same thing .... i went to school the next day and bragged about it.

 

[Bax]

My old man used a magic button.

I'm fairly sure there are some lights that are local here that have sensors mounted on top. They look half like a red light camera but they aren't. So I've always assumed it was a sensor.

 

[stocky]

not sure about all traffic lights, but ive been told that traffic lights use inductors in the road. the cars body acts as the metal body of the inductor and this tells the light there is a car there

 

[semi]

yep, exactly it creates a magnetic field and this magnetic field causes a current in the sensor, kinda like how guitar pickups work

 

[Patrio7]

as far as im concerned the flashing lights makes it change faster is like shaking your mouse while waiting for a program to load makes it go faster, it doesnt really but it keeps you occupied so theres less waiting time.

tell her you found honking your horn makes em change almost instantly ke ke ke ke

 

[Emackulation]

Traffic lights either change by timer or by relays embedded under the road.

 

[Shanoqueeb]

Hey guys,
This might sound really stupid, but forgive me A friend of mines sister has heard AND tried this theory, she says it works, i wouldnt have a clue...thats y u are here She says that by flashing you headlights when you are at the front of that traffic lights turns them green quicker, something to do with the sensors?? Maybe it gets tricked off because it thinks there might be more cars or something?? I wouldnt have the foggiest of ideas, so any ideas?? Or any other rumours you have heard of

Cheers Fellas :yeah:

i think there pulling ya pud there m8!:thumbsup:

 

[Bax]

Do people actually know how these work or are they just saying how they think they work.

 

[vh-holden]

Do people actually know how these work or are they just saying how they think they work.

all the people that said about induction loops were right

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm