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Q: Why did William potts invent traffic lights?
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Who inspired William L potts to invent the traffic light?

How did William L Potts come up with the traffic lights?=who inspired William L Potts?=


Did William l potts invent the traffic lights?

He invented the traffic life because he was disturbed by the number of car accidents over the years. he wanted drivers to be moresafe,and to wast money.......


Who invented traffic lights?

The first known traffic signal appeared in London in 1868 near the Houses of Parliament. Designed by JP Knight, it featured two semaphore arms and two gas lamps. The earliest electric traffic lights include Lester Wire's two-color version set up in Salt Lake City circa 1912, James Hoge's system (US patent #1,251,666) installed in Cleveland by the American Traffic Signal Company in 1914, and William Potts' 4-way red-yellow-green lights introduced in Detroit beginning in 1920. New York City traffic towers began flashing three-color signals also in 1920.


Who invented the traffic signal?

Garrett Morgan See website: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blgas_mask.htm ---- The world's first traffic light was operating in London, England, even before cars were invented. It was a revolving gas-lit lantern with red and green signals, but in 1869, the light exploded, injuring the policeman who was operating it. In the early 1900s Garrett Morgan, an African-American living in Cleveland, Ohio, developed the electric automatic traffic light, originally based on a semaphore-system. Shortly after this, Detroit police officer William L Potts developed the first 4-way three colour traffic light using red, amber, and green railroad lights.


Was the inventor of the traffic light an African-American?

Debatable as to who is the inventor. Two men are credited. You decide. 1. The very first traffic light was a revolving gas lantern with red and green lights installed in a London intersection in 1868, before the advent of automobiles. A later version of the traffic light based on railroad signals was installed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1920. But we have Garrett Augustus Morgan to thank for the modern version and first patent of this traffic-stopping invention. The son of former slaves, Morgan was born in 1877 in Kentucky. He later moved to Cincinnati and then Cleveland, where he owned and operated a sewing-machine repair business and earned quite a reputation as a technician. A multi-talented businessman, Morgan went on to establish the newspaper The Cleveland Call. In early 20th century Cleveland, as in other major U.S. cities, the roads were clogged with pedestrians, bicycles, animal-drawn wagons, and those newfangled automobiles. There were no traffic laws to speak of, and chaos ruled the streets. Accidents were frequent. After witnessing one such traffic accident, Morgan felt compelled to improve the situation. The result? The precursor to the modern traffic signal, patented on November 23, 1923. Not quite your contemporary street light, "The Morgan traffic signal was a T-shaped pole unit that featured three positions: Stop, Go and an all-directional stop position. This 'third position' halted traffic in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely." His light was used throughout North America before being replaced by today's familiar red/yellow/green traffic lights. Morgan eventually sold the rights to his invention to General Electric. He also received a government citation for his invaluable invention. 2. The world's first traffic light came into being before the automobile was in use, and traffic consisted only of pedestrians, buggies, and wagons. Installed at an intersection in London in 1868, it was a revolving lantern with red and green signals. Red meant "stop" and green meant "caution." The lantern, illuminated by gas, was turned by means of a lever at its base so that the appropriate light faced traffic. On January 2, 1869, this crude traffic light exploded, injuring the policeman who was operating it. 3. Police Officer William L. Potts of Detroit, Michigan, decided to do something about the problem caused by the ever increasing number of automobiles on the streets. What he had in mind was figuring out a way to adapt railroad signals for street use. Potts used red, amber, and green railroad lights and about thirty-seven dollars worth of wire and electrical controls to make the world's first 4-way three color traffic light. It was installed in 1920 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. Within a year, Detroit had installed a total of fifteen of the new automatic lights.THE STORYRELATED INFOBOOKSWEB SITESDID YOU KNOW? Invention: Traffic Light Function: noun / trsffic signal / stoplight Definition: A road signal for directing vehicular traffic by means of colored lights, typically red for stop, green for go, and yellow for proceed with caution. Patent: As a government emplyee Potts could not patent his invention. Inventor:William L. Potts Criteria: First practical. Modern prototype.

Related questions

Who inspired William L potts to invent the traffic light?

How did William L Potts come up with the traffic lights?=who inspired William L Potts?=


Did William l potts invent the traffic lights?

He invented the traffic life because he was disturbed by the number of car accidents over the years. he wanted drivers to be moresafe,and to wast money.......


Did a black man invent the traffic light?

A police office named William Potts of Detroit Michigan in 1920 invented the traffic signal. His race is not mentioned.


Who invented the electric traffic light?

William L. Potts


Who invented the automatic traffic light?

William L. Potts


Where the worlds first traffic lights?

Invented by a police officer named William Potts, it was installed at the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit, Michigan, in 1920.


Where was the worlds first traffic lights?

Invented by a police officer named William Potts, it was installed at the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit, Michigan, in 1920.


Did any body help William L Potts invent the traffic lights?

There is some dispute as to who really invented traffic lights. Police officer William L Potts is credited with developing the system of lights to control the increasing numbers of automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, but others had similar ideas before him. The world's very first traffic light was operating in London, England, even before the advent of the automobile. Installed at a London intersection in 1868, it was a revolving gas-lit lantern with red and green signals. However, on 2 January 1869, the light exploded, injuring the policeman who was operating it. Actually, the traffic light concept was invented in the early 1900s by Garrett Morgan, an African-American living in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the one who developed the electric automatic traffic light. This was before Potts's first invention was installed in 1920. Originally based on a semaphore-system, traffic lights gradually evolved through the years to become the red-amber-green lights they are today - and this is where Potts's invention had its influence.


Was William potts black?

William Potts Was in fact Black!


The year of the first trafftic light invention?

The first traffic light was invented in 1903 by William L. Potts.


When was William Potts Dewees born?

William Potts Dewees was born in 1768.


When did William Potts Dewees die?

William Potts Dewees died in 1841.