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A Black Man Was The Inventor of The Traffic Light: 10 Great Facts About Him And His Invention

Stoplights, traffic lights, and traffic signals are signaling devices placed at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other areas to manage the flow of traffic. In South Africa, they are also referred to as “robots.”

Traffic lights typically include three signals, which communicate important information to automobiles and cyclists using various colors and symbols, such as bicycles and arrows. Red, yellow, and green are the standard traffic light colors, and they are often positioned vertically or horizontally in that sequence. Despite being globally standardized, there are differences in traffic light legislation and sequences at the national and municipal levels.

On Parliament Square in London, the technique was first used in December 1868 to lessen the need for police personnel to regulate traffic. Since then, traffic light technology has progressed and intersection capacity has increased thanks to electricity and computerized control. The technology is also utilized for other things, like regulating pedestrian traffic, variable lane control , and level crossings on railroads.

Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr. was an American inventor, businessperson, and civic leader who lived from March 4, 1877, until July 27, 1963. His two most famous creations were a traffic light, the first three-way signal, and a gas mask, which was famously employed in a rescue operation during a tunnel building tragedy in 1916. A chemical solution for hair processing and straightening was also found by Morgan.

Based on his innovations for hair products, he established a prosperous business called “G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company” that offered a whole line of haircare items. He also got active in the civic and political advancement of African Americans, particularly in and around Cleveland, Ohio.

1. Morgan was born in 1877 in Â鶹APP, Kentucky

Garrett Morgan. jpg , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An almost entirely African American neighborhood. His father was Sydney Morgan, a freed slave and the son of Morgan’s Raiders Confederate General John H. Morgan. He had a Native American mother named Elizabeth Reed, who was also a freed slave and the daughter of the Rev. Garrett Reed.

In a family of 11, Garrett Morgan was the seventh child. At Branch Elementary School in Claysville, Kentucky, Morgan only completed the sixth grade before leaving for Cincinnati, Ohio, in search of employment when he was 14 years old. 

2. Morgan worked as a handyman for a Cincinnati landowner

He was forced to drop out of school at an early age to pursue a full-time career, just like many African American children growing up at the turn of the century. While working in Cincinnati, Morgan was able to retain his academic work by hiring a tutor.

He relocated to Cleveland in 1895 and started fixing sewing machines for a textile business there. Because of this encounter, Morgan developed a fascination with how things functioned and gained a reputation for troubleshooting.

3. Morgan also invented a zigzag attachment for sewing machines

During this time, he produced his first invention, a sewing machine belt fastener. Morgan also designed a sewing machine accessory for zigzag stitching.

Morgan opened a sewing machine shop in 1907. After becoming increasingly aware of his ethnicity, he helped to create the Cleveland Association of Colored Men in 1908.

4. He received his first patent in 1912

Around 1910, his interest in repairing other people’s inventions diminished, and he began to build his own. In 1912, he got his first patent. In 1913, he added hair care goods to his expanding list of patents and established the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company, which sold hair care products such as his patented hair straightening cream, hair coloring, and Morgan’s own hair straightening comb.

5. He received a patent for his smoke hood design in 1914

In a smoking hood, the wearer’s head is enclosed in a clear, airtight bag, and breathing is accomplished by connecting an air filter to the outside air through the mouth. Fire victims are protected from the effects of smoke inhalation by smoke hoods. A gas mask’s predecessor is a smoke hood. In 1912, Garrett Morgan created the first contemporary smoke hood.

In 1914, he was granted a patent for his smoke hood design, a smoke protection tool commonly referred to as a “gas mask.” “Morgan’s breathing apparatus became the prototype and forerunner for the gas masks used during World War I, protecting soldiers from deadly gas used in conflict. That same year, he founded the National Safety apparatus Company.

At the Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New York City, the idea won him first place. In 1916, Morgan used a smoke hood to shield his eyes from smoke and a system of air tubes that hung close to the ground to extract pure air beneath the smoke to rescue employees who had become trapped in a water intake tunnel 50 feet (15 meters) beneath Lake Erie.

6. He co-founded the Cleveland Association of Colored Men

He was a founding member of the Cleveland Association of Colored Men, founded in 1908; it later amalgamated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Its treasurer was Morgan. He contributed money to historically black schools and universities and was a member of the NAACP.

7. Traffic lights control flows of traffic using social norms and legal rule

Traffic lights in Turin 2021.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

In most jurisdictions, disobeying traffic signals is prohibited, and violators may face fines, additional penalties, and potentially legal action from the police or equipment such as red light cameras.

According to research conducted in the United States, the most prevalent causes of red light running include inattentive driving, following a large vehicle, or adverse weather. The majority of drivers believe that speeding through a red light is dangerous.

8. Conventional traffic signal lighting uses a standard light bulb

The typical traffic signal lights are incandescent or halogen bulbs, which produce light when an electric current flows through a filament and heats it up. Prior to the development of LEDs, these bulbs were the de facto illumination technology for traffic lights.

Due to its energy efficiency, extended lifespan, and minimal maintenance requirements, LED traffic lights have become more and more popular in recent years. Compared to conventional bulbs, LEDs use less energy and have longer operating lives because they emit light when an electric current flows through them.

9. Automobile racing circuits can also use standard traffic signals 

Traffic lights rus.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Racing car drivers are alerted to the state of the race using regular traffic lights. Four sets can be utilized on an oval track, two facing straightaways and two facing the 180-degree turn halfway between straightaways. Red would signal to halt, most likely in an emergency, while amber would advise to slow down or to follow a pace car. Green would indicate that racing is currently taking place.

The Christmas Tree traffic light is another form that is utilized in racing, namely drag racing. Six lights make up the Christmas tree: a red light, a green light, three amber lights, and a blue stage light. Pre-stage and stage are the two sections of the blue staging light.

Sometimes, to symbolize them, there are two sets of lights stacked on top of one another. The starter will turn on the light to start the race after a driver is lined up at the starting line. This can be done in one of two ways.

10. The traffic light typically has three colors

Traffic lights dark all-on.svg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Red: A red light tells all cars and pedestrians to stop. Every vehicle approaching the intersection must come to a complete stop when the red light is on until the signal changes.

Following the red light and acting as a warning signal is the yellow or amber light. It signals that the green signal will soon turn red. When the light is yellow, motorists should be ready to safely stop before the intersection. People on foot should proceed with caution and refrain from crossing the street.

Green: For both pedestrians and cars, the green light means “go.” When the green light is on, it means that, if it is safe to do so, cars may pass through the crossing. Pedestrians are also permitted to begin crossing the street while the light is green.

Numerous benefits exist for regulating traffic and enhancing road safety thanks to traffic lights. They control how cars move, guaranteeing a smooth flow of traffic and reducing conflicts. They improve safety by giving unambiguous signs when to stop, go, or yield. Crossing protection is provided by special pedestrian signals. Particularly in high-traffic locations, traffic lights maximize intersection efficiency, cutting down on congestion and travel times.

By altering signal timing based on demand and maximizing road capacity, they help manage traffic loads. Prioritizing emergency vehicles enables faster response times. By enforcing traffic laws, traffic lights encourage compliance, order, and a reduction in accidents.

Overall, traffic lights provide effective control, improve safety, operationally enhance intersections, and manage traffic flow, resulting in improved road efficiency, less congestion, and higher safety.

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