Green traffic light, green arrow: rules, features

It is difficult to imagine how residents of megacities would manage without such cars that are usual for us now. They are already in every family, and in some it is impossible to live without two or three cars. And this is not surprising, because every day we have to visit different places in cities almost simultaneously. Such a flow of cars on the roads of the metropolis must obey clear rules, otherwise the whole movement will turn into chaos. One of the most important traffic regulators to which all drivers must obey is the traffic light.

What is a traffic light?

A traffic light is a device that by means of light signals regulates the flow of traffic. It can be not only cars, traffic lights are subject to water and rail transport.

The very name of this familiar device came from the Greek language and literally means "carrying light."

Where did the traffic light come from?

The first traffic light appeared a hundred and fifty years ago. His inventor was a British engineer who spent his entire life developing semaphores for railroads. Therefore it is not surprising that the first traffic light was almost a complete copy of the railway semaphore. He had several arrows, which were set in motion with the help of a man. At night, when the shooter was not visible, the traffic light turned into a gas-fired lantern. The lantern was two-color, at that time the usual signals of red and green were fixed. Later they became the basis for automatic traffic lights.

The first automatic traffic lights

The device for regulating the movement based on gas was very dangerous. In history, there were recorded cases when a gas lantern exploded and became the cause of the mutilation of policemen who controlled the traffic lights. Therefore, by the beginning of the twentieth century, models of automatic traffic lights appeared. Not all devices were comfortable. For example, on one of them words were written on which drivers should have guessed. In other cases, the device had the usual two colors, but was controlled by a policeman at a distance. It was then that the green arrow was used for turning left.

The first electric light was installed in America in the twenties of the last century. He had three colors and worked on the principle of priority.

Traffic lights in the USSR

Until the thirties, there were no traffic lights on the roads of the USSR. The first device was installed in Leningrad and gradually spread to the cities of the country. The traffic light had two colors, located differently than now. Only in the sixties international rules were adopted that regulate the production and appearance of traffic lights.

Car traffic lights

Despite the fact that now there are more than nine types of devices that regulate the flow of traffic, the most famous and in demand are automobile traffic lights. They can be horizontal and vertical, and also have two or three colors. Yellow color in some cases is allowed to replace with orange, which can be seen on most Russian traffic lights.

Automobile traffic lights also regulate the movement of pedestrians, if there are no other devices at the intersection. Most often it has three round signal parts, but some models are supplemented with a light board with a time report and sections where a green arrow is depicted.

Signs of traffic lights

Traffic signals are uniform all over the world. Their designations have been taught since childhood:

• Red color prohibits travel;
• Yellow is prohibitive, but allows travel in case of emergency braking;
• The green signal allows movement in the specified direction.

In some cases, the yellow signal lights up simultaneously with red and indicates that the green traffic light will soon turn on.

The green arrow - what is it?

With the increase in the number of cars, it became necessary to create traffic lights with additional sections. They are put on the busiest and most complex intersections of the city. Experienced drivers are not difficult to deal with all the subtleties of motion, when the green arrow is on. But it is hard for beginners to understand when it's possible to start moving in the direction, and when the green signal should be waiting for the arrows.

All these wisdom drivers study before they get the right to drive. But the cases are completely different. For example, you got the rights in a small town, where they drove their main clock. In such settlements practically there are no crossroads where the green arrow at the traffic light causes difficulties with understanding. But when moving to a larger city, a driver who considers himself fully experienced can face problems and create emergency situations on the roads.

What does the green arrow mean?

A green signal indicates a motion resolution, but in the case of multi-lane motion, one of this signal is small. Therefore, there was a separate section, where a green arrow was applied.

If you see such a traffic light, then note that the green signal is only permissive in the direction where there is no arrow. If the green arrow lights in the direction you need, and the main green has not yet lit up, then the movement can begin. Rules you do not break this.

The easiest way to navigate is when the green arrow is pointing to the right. In this direction, the turn causes the least difficulty, and this section burns almost always. This means that regardless of the basic signals of the traffic light, the turn to the right is always permitted. In some cases, the green arrow pointing to the right turn periodically goes out. But it always lights up a few seconds before the main green.

The green arrow pointing to the left turn makes it easier to move at many intersections. It means that the driver can start the maneuver only after it appears on the scoreboard. And, having left on the crossroads, the driver should miss all cars traveling directly from the opposite side. And only after that finish your maneuver.

The green arrow directly leads to the perplexity of many drivers. After all, most often the passage to the green traffic signal is always directly permitted. Yes it is, but such an arrow has its own characteristics. If you plan to make a left turn, but at the traffic light only two directions are blinking, pointing directly and to the right, this means that the turn is not allowed to turn to the left at this intersection. You have to find another way to get to the right place.

Also, the green arrow is directly indicative of the lack of movement advantage. That is, you can drive in the right direction, but in a controversial situation, give way to other motorists. This is a must know in order to avoid accidents.

A car is just a device for movement, it can be new or not very, but it is always driven by the driver. The knowledge and skills obtained in the driving school depend on the safety of himself and other participants in the movement. And since traffic lights have long been the most familiar and necessary devices on our roads, every person who has the right to drive a vehicle must correctly read their values.