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I notice that in many parts of the world (e.g. most of the ex-British Empire, the British Isles, Continental Europe, China, and certain Latin American countries like Chile and most of Brazil) the traffic lights are painted black (very often with a white margin on the outside of the plate), while in some parts of the world the traffic lights are painted yellow (e.g. much of the US, most of Canada, some Latin American countries), and in yet other parts of the world they can be painted dark green, brown, grey, etc. Given all of that, and given that there can be variations within the same country what the traffic lights look like, is there any way to get a map or even atlas depicting which parts of the world use what kind of traffic light?
Yeah here they're all black. I also notice the design of traffic lights in the US is different too. Like there are lights hanging from wires, overhanging above you, which you don't see here.
Put it this way: In terms of traffic light design/colour, why do the likes of Brazil, Chile, or China follow the British/European pattern of black signals with white perimeters (I could understand why Australia or South Africa do, being ex-British colonies) while the likes of Argentina or Peru or Central America follow more the traditional American pattern of yellow signals?
Put it this way: In terms of traffic light design/colour, why do the likes of Brazil, Chile, or China follow the British/European pattern of black signals with white perimeters (I could understand why Australia or South Africa do, being ex-British colonies) while the likes of Argentina or Peru or Central America follow more the traditional American pattern of yellow signals?
No idea...any reason you ask, or just curiosity?
A related thing is which side of the road you drive on. In the UK and Commonwealth countries, as well as a few others like Japan and Thailand, it's on the left. Elsewhere it's on the right.
Just curious - because I've seen maps of many thematic features, including on what side of the road each country drives on, but I haven't seen any map what kind of traffic light is where (not on Wikipedia, not through Google, nothing).
I notice that in many parts of the world (e.g. most of the ex-British Empire, the British Isles, Continental Europe, China, and certain Latin American countries like Chile and most of Brazil) the traffic lights are painted black (very often with a white margin on the outside of the plate), while in some parts of the world the traffic lights are painted yellow (e.g. much of the US, most of Canada, some Latin American countries), and in yet other parts of the world they can be painted dark green, brown, grey, etc. Given all of that, and given that there can be variations within the same country what the traffic lights look like, is there any way to get a map or even atlas depicting which parts of the world use what kind of traffic light?
The town I live in, which is a suburb of Indianapolis in the US, they just recently switched all our traffic lights from yellow to black because it supposedly helps the light be seen better. A neighboring city also just put in black lights but with yellow reflectors outlining each light to stand out at night. I'm not really sure if there's a big difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Postman
Yeah here they're all black. I also notice the design of traffic lights in the US is different too. Like there are lights hanging from wires, overhanging above you, which you don't see here.
Mostly the lights hanging on cables are used for big intersections where you may have 7, 8, or 9 lanes of traffic. Sometimes there are 2 or 3 straight thru lanes, 2 or 3 left turn lanes, and a lane or 2 for right turn. The laws of gravity don't work too well to extend a pole all that way (though I have seen pulls go all the way across anchored to the ground on both sides of the road). That's when usually wires are used and stretched tight. It's cheaper I think is the main reason for doing that. Smaller intersections and more upscale areas use poles.
Hard to say because it seems that every country/city/state does things differently as far as color, mounting position, wether it is mounted on a pole or strung up on a cable, etc.
In my travels throughout the US most states have vertical traffic lights but a few such as Wisconsin, Texas, and New Mexico have horizontally mounted traffic lights. Same scenario with Mexico which varies from each city/state.
Hard to say because it seems that every country/city/state does things differently as far as color, mounting position, wether it is mounted on a pole or strung up on a cable, etc.
In my travels throughout the US most states have vertical traffic lights but a few such as Wisconsin, Texas, and New Mexico have horizontally mounted traffic lights. Same scenario with Mexico which varies from each city/state.
I think it's fair to say, though, that based on photos I've seen on Google Maps, traffic light designs - in terms of, say, colours - vary less within a country like Argentina (despite being federal like Mexico and the US) than within Mexico and within the US?
Yeah here they're all black. I also notice the design of traffic lights in the US is different too. Like there are lights hanging from wires, overhanging above you, which you don't see here.
Well not always. In florida the lights hang from metal.
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