Stop Lights in History

By Nancy J. Farrier

Have you ever wondered how our traffic light system came about? When and how were the first stop lights in use? Were they even needed early on since cars didn’t go that fast and there weren’t all that many on the road? Let’s take a look.

Yellow Stop Sign 1924
Wikimedia Commons

If you look at pictures of streets before the automobile, you would see that traffic jams didn’t happen with the invention of the car. In major cities throughout the world, there were problems with buggies, wagons, and other conveyances vying for space on narrow streets. Once automobiles were added to the mix, some thoroughfares became overcrowded and caused heated exchanges or accidents.

British railway manager, John Peake Knight, suggested using the railway method of ensuring safety on the tracks. During the day semaphore flags were used to direct the trains. At night, gas lamps lit red or green signals to let the engineer know whether they could use a track or not.

Hoge Traffic Signal Design
Wikimedia Commons

The earliest attempt at a traffic signal happened in London in 1868. It was based on Knight’s recommendation. I couldn’t find much information on how the signal worked, but a police officer controlled the signal, changing it when needed. A month after being installed, a gas leak caused the light to explode, seriously injuring the policeman. The lights were declared unsafe and never used again.

In the early 1900’s several patents were filed for traffic signals, however the first electric light used is credited to James Hoge. The initial light was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of Euclid and 105^th Street in 1914. By this time, the number of deaths from automobile accidents had risen to over 4,000 for the year. The streets must have been chaos with everyone intent on where they were going and so many people on the road.

1930 Traffic Regulator
Wikimedia Commons

Hoge’s light didn’t use the traditional color signal we are used to. His signal incorporated the words, “stop” and “move” to let drivers know when they were safe to go. A policeman sat in a booth and controlled the changes with a flip of a switch. They could also control traffic in case an emergency vehicle needed faster passage.

In 1917, the first automated traffic signal was patented. In 1920, a Detroit police officer developed the first three-color signal, which added the yellow or “caution” to the mix. In 1923, Garrett Morgan, the first African-American to own a car, patented a signal incorporating a T-shaped pole with three positions. The benefits to his design were that drivers from different directions could see the signal and the light was inexpensive to produce. He later sold the rights to his traffic light to General Electric.

1940 Traffic Signal Installation
Photo by Russell Lee
Wikimedia Commons

The stoplight caught on and became a symbol of progress. Every town in America wanted their own light as a status symbol and by 1930 most had their own traffic light. Traffic deaths were cut in half as people learned to obey the signs and consider the safety of themselves and others. 

There were complaints. People didn’t like having to stop for others and saw it as an infringement on their rights. Policemen noted anger issues of the drivers waiting at red lights as their impatience mounted. In 1919 a Cleveland school teacher invented the game, Red Light, Green Light to teach school children how to recognize the significance of the colors. That game is still used today as a teaching tool. 

In 1916, the Detroit Automotive Club instituted “Courtesy Week.” Drivers were encouraged to display kindness and courtesy to other drivers on the road because ill behavior was becoming the norm. Drivers were encouraged to show “the breeding that motorists are expected to manifest in all other human relations.” Impatience was on the rise.

1909 Chicago Traffic Jam

Perhaps we could use a “Courtesy Week” today to combat the road rage sometimes encountered by drivers. It’s hard to imagine road ways without traffic lights where everyone goes when they want. The traffic snarl would be horrendous. 

I, for one, am glad to have stoplights to help the traffic flow and provide safety. What about you? Would you rather have no lights and let people choose what to do? Or do you like the safety of having the traffic signals?

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Wagon Traffic Jams and Stop signs

I was at the Salt & Straw Ice-cream shop in Portland with a group of friends. When we finished with our treat we stepped out to cross the street. Like most folks, we used the crosswalk and lo-and-behold the vehicles stopped to let us pass.

How did the cars know to stop and wait for us to get across?
When were crosswalks invented?

After reading all about The Manure Crisis, I was intrigued and went after the answer.

Phelps was 40 when he made his first move to fix the traffic issues.

Thanks to William Phelps Eno (1858-1945) we crossed in relative safety about a hundred and seventeen years after he made his mark on society. Stop signs and crosswalks are easy and known by all who learn to drive. And they are enforced by the law. But how did they get there? Can you imagine thinking up traffic rules before there was such a thing?


It all began when he was nine years old.

He was out on the town with his mother, when they were caught in a traffic jam comprised of no more than a dozen horses and carriages. He observed that it wasn’t that many vehicles, but no one knew what to do.

Here are a few of the things Phelps began:

Stop sign
Pedestrian cross walk
Traffic circle
One-way streets
Taxi stands
Pedestrian islands

The first stop signs were black and white not red. This one is from 1925

He is know for implementing his plan in New York, London, and Paris.

First roundabout in UK was in Letchworth in 1909

Taxi stands were made for this kind of taxi.

But there was still the obstacle of getting the news out to the public and getting the rules enforced.

No social media back then.

He created his changes with his pen.

Yup. You heard me. His pen.

He wrote an article in 1900 that was published titled, “Reform on Our Streets Traffic Urgently Needed.” Being published in the paper made him an instant expert and authority on the subject and led to the first written transportation policy in 1903.

Interesting fact:
The Father of Traffic Safety never drove a car.

William Phelps Eno never was comfortable with cars. He thought they were a passing fad and stuck to riding horseback. If he did find the need to drive in a car somewhere, he hired a chauffeur. He ended up with a drivers license, but it was an honorary gift not one he earned.

Eno's guidelines were just in time since Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company in 1901.
I wonder what he would think of our super highways and intersections if he could see them now?


I wonder if it would be possible to make such a culture-changing observation these days? Inventions yes… but can you think of something that would universally affect everyone for the better? Gotta love innovators. 

If you've made it this far, I'd like to tell you about something new. I started a podcast. If you are a podcast listener and you need a dose of joy-meets-common sense come on over to Life Caraphrased. 

CaraGrandle is a Historical Romance Novelist who prefers to write about the early settlers of the Pacific Northwest. Think trappers and loggers and scroungy backed woodsmen. She is represented by the Steve Laube Agency. Cara leads the author4TheAuthor writers group on Facebook, home to 190 writers. Together they're pressing back on busy and making a space for their dreams. Cara hosts a Writers Encouragement show weekly on Periscope. The show is on Tuesday mornings at 9:00am PST. Cara's Periscope show includes live, interactive author-interviews with leading Christian fiction novelists, editors, publicist and agents under the handle @CaraGrandle.

Cara is currently out on submission. Follower her journey on her Facebook author page.

Prayers much appreciated. Smile.