Traffic Light Rules In India and What You Should Know About Them?

• Basics of lights

There are basic rules you must know about traffic lights. These are also known as traffic signals. There are red-green-yellow signals on the roads and they mean universally the same. There are other things you should know apart from the colours of the traffic lights.

• Workings of traffic signal

A traffic signal consists of the controller, the sensor, and of course the lights. The rules governing the traffic rules are the same all over the world but the technologies are quite different. The lights are changed according to the time of the day but it is the base of lighting. It needs some modification because the technology used here is very old and traditional. The lights don't change according to the particular flow of traffic during different times of the day. When the red light glows longer than necessary when the traffic is mild, it is going to test the patience of the motorists. They might tend to break the rule because they see it as a waste of time waiting for the red light to turn green. It doesn't turn green because the lights have been fixed once during the morning and there is no mechanism to adjust them as the day wears on.

• Using newer technology

If one uses newer technology for traffic lights, one can overcome the above-mentioned problems of lights getting frozen in a particular mode. There are some sensors and equipment that can detect the flow of people and vehicles on the road and they can direct the lights to go on or off for varying frequencies. It will stop the phenomenon of red light remaining on while there is no flow of traffic. This system of sensors used in the traffic signals is quite costly. It is the reason why this system is not popularly used in a country like India. If one looks at the traffic scenario on the Indian roads, especially owing to the swell in population, one can think of applying modern technologies for traffic regulations despite the cost involved.

• Traffic signal for control

This signal is the most commonly known one. The signals of traffic are based on three different colours. The red light indicates that you should stop. The green means there is not much traffic in that area and you can go ahead. The yellow or amber colour is somewhere between red and green. It means that you can go with care and be ready to stop the moment a red light comes on. There are places in some towns where the lights are operated manually. It is done by the traffic police.

• Signals for the Pedestrians

Pedestrian signals are used in unison with traffic signals for the motorists. These signals are very useful for pedestrians and motorists alike. The pedestrians know exactly when to start crossing the road on the zebra crossing and how much time do they have. It is good for the vehicles too because as long as the pedestrian signals are on the red, there is no chance of a person suddenly coming amid the running vehicles. Hits and accidents can be averted to a great extent.

• Arrow signals

If the arrow signal flashes red or remains red, it means one has to stop going in the direction of the arrow. If the arrow light is green, one can go in that direction. The yellow arrow means that the red arrow is going to appear soon, so traffic beware. Besides these, there are flashing signals on during the wee hours in the morning when the motorists have to drive very cautiously though there are not many vehicles on the road.