Traffic lights need to be understood for you to become a safe driver for the rest of your life & to pass your theory test.
Most new learner drivers know that in the traffic light sequence RED means stop, but they rarely know what Amber or even Green stands for. You might think that this can't be so about GREEN, but maybe so about AMBER. Out of 150 students surveyed in the last 2 years not one knew the meaning of GREEN or AMBER. Neither did any student know the actual sequence of the traffic lights changing from one colour to the other & why this knowledge is very important to driver safety.
This page on traffic lights has been designed to help drivers at all levels to understand traffic lights & their operation..
Do you know the traffic light sequence?
Traffic lights learning example
We all know what a traffic light looks like, but do you know the sequence of the lights? 
In this example I am going to show you an easy
way to remember which colour comes after another and what they mean to you as a driver.The Highway code traffic lights section can be difficult to relate to the actual traffic lights when read in isolation from the traffic light you see on the roadside.
When you look into the Highway code and find the section on traffic lights, it looks like this (without the numbers):
By adding the numbers below the traffic lights you have achieved two situations that can help with your understanding of the Highway code traffic light operation and application when driving.
You can use the numbers as a reference in your understanding as to the colour changes involved. By adding the numbers below you have created a numerical sequence of the colour changes.
This is the way you were taught in primary school i.e you count 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. You were not taught that red follows amber.
- You can use the numbers as a reference in your understanding as to the colour changes involved.
- By adding the numbers below you have created a numerical sequence of the colour changes. This is the way you were taught in primary school i.e you count 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. You were not taught that red follows amber.
Students are asked to look at the picture for a few minutes, without giving any reason why. When my student has finished looking (they decide when to finish, not myself). I then ask them what colour sequence of the traffic light follows amber. I ask this without reference to the number beneath. 100% so far have answered correctly. Whereas prior to introducing the numbers my students would have said "Either Red or Green can follow amber".
Learn the traffic light sequence first
When you need to learn a new subject, break it down into small chunks and have a strategy that you have developed yourself.
By developing your own strategy for remembering new information you are more likely to make it work. I give my students tips, advice and ecouragement to develop their own techniques.
First learn the colours of a traffic light.
Look at traffic light number '1'
RED
next number '2'
RED + AMBER
next number '3'
GREEN,
next number '4'
AMBER on its own
next back to number '1'
RED.
Go over this sequence until you can answer any question given to you on the colour changes, before moving on to what the colours represent.
Highway code traffic lights.
Do you know the colours?
When you look at your Highway code you will see written underneath the traffic light colours an explanation of each one. Read the explanations slowly and understand their meaning.
An easy way to remember the explanations is to say to yourself that all colours of the traffic lights means stop, except for the GREEN. Once you have grasped that you can move on to your driving technique and the practical way you deal with traffic lights.
After you have read the Highway code traffic lights section, see if you can answer this question:
What does GREEN mean in the traffic lights sequence?
Do we need traffic lights at all? Experienced drivers will have noticed that when the traffic lights are not working there is less traffic and drivers appear to stay calm and drive in a more cautious way.
Here is an example: When the traffic lights are working and on 'GREEN' drivers tend to be more aggressive towards pedestrians who are still crossing the road. Whereas if the lights were not working at all drivers tend to treat pedestrians with more respect. You might like to read this article on traffic lights by Martin Cassini from the BBC Newsnight report team
How do traffic lights detect a car is there?
You might like to read this article on how a traffic light detects a car is there. In busy towns traffic lights usually work on a timer, no matter what day in the week it is, rush hour is always rush hour. This can have some unusual side effects such as unnecessary traffic jams on Christmas day. In rural area's though a traffic detector system is usually in operation.
How a traffic light detects if a vehicle is approaching
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