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Traffic Light Turned Green in All Directions for 30 Years
Let's say that a new traffic light is installed at an intersection. On one side of the light is a car dealership, and the light in front of the dealership leads onto a highway. Now, let's say that when the light was programmed, a mistake was made -- and every time the light changes, it is actually green in all directions for seven seconds. How long do you think such a mistake would go unnoticed? A few days? A few months at most? How about 29 years? According to Japan's Daily Yomiuri, that's how long it took authorities in Fukushima, Japan to notice that a traffic light installed on National Route 49 was improperly programmed.
Amazingly, until June 19, the two-way green light had never caused an accident. The light's luck ran out, however, when a driver tried to exit the car dealership at the same time that another driver was following the green light onto the road, and the two cars collided.
Both drivers told local police they had a green light, which prompted an investigation. The error in programming was quickly realized, the traffic light replaced, and the drivers compensated by the police for the damages.
Things may have worked out in the end, but it's still a little disturbing that a traffic light with such a dangerous operational error has been in service longer than some of us here at Switched have been alive. Hey, at least no one died. [From: Daily Yomiuri Online]
Wacky Sign Hacks and Mistakes
In 2008, a group of students at MIT pasted funny "DANGER" signs all around campus. Even the school's Visual Arts Center can't escape the ubiquitous Rickroll.
Hackers, seemingly pushing a pro-green agenda, figured out how to change the messages displayed on signs at the University of Toronto in Canada.
On first glance, this sign appears to offer up a normal set of bilingual directions. If you read Welsh, you may notice the problem -- the bottom translates to "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated." Looks like someone was slacking on the job, and the e-mail away message ended up pasted onto a sign.
This construction sign on the MIT campus was hacked in 2007 to alert drivers first that the sign had been hacked. The sequence was followed with, "Mass ave bridge closed," "Sunday 04/22/07 6am-3pm," and "to appease Godzilla."
This street sign in Reno City, Nevada was modded by the Glenn Group, an advertising company. While at first it doesn't seem to have anything to do with traffic, it may have helped combat road rage.
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Comments
52
Subscribe to commentsHeimbachaeJul 22nd 2009 10:57AM
i can only imagine what it's like wrecking a car after just purchasing it. this one is almost guaranteed to get paid by the state though, so no loss.
Davidv602Jul 23rd 2009 8:32AM
I had a female driver run into me at a gas station, she was going to fuel up her RAV-4 after purchasing it and bumped into me. Worst of all she tried to blame me for it, kind of hard for me to hit her when I was parked.
As for the green light, there has been a couple times here that a light has turned green while another light was still green. It only happened once that I know of, but it was scary when you start to turn left and a car comes flying through at 50+mph.
StevenJul 24th 2009 10:04AM
You spammers, how about getting a meaningful job, like stocking shelves at your local Wal-Mart?
AJJul 23rd 2009 9:37AM
It's hard to believe that it took 30 years for an accident to happen. It's harder still to believe that the drivers were "compensated by the police for the damages." In the USA, the city, county, or state MIGHT admit to making a traffic light error, but never the police!
coffeeenicecreamJul 24th 2009 11:03AM
And they would never compensate you!! You could sue them to get some sort of settlement, but not straight out cutting you a check...
robfindlanJul 23rd 2009 9:44AM
Why is the green light on top?
sprkydcJul 24th 2009 8:03AM
The green light is always at the top on vertically mounted signals, and on the left on horizontally mounted ones. The purpose is so that color blind people can recognize what state the signal is in.
carlasmith0214Jul 24th 2009 3:02PM
Very good observation! LOL....
LizJul 24th 2009 3:25PM
i was wondering the same thing too. probably because it's in Japan.
sprkydc - every traffic light i have seen has a green light on the bottom, so i think your color blind theory doesn't quite work. maybe in your area, but then they would have to have warnings everywhere else...and i have never seen any.
BrentJul 23rd 2009 10:11AM
Must be nice to live is a country that when two drivers give the facts that seem at odds with logic, the citizens are believed because the people are known for being truthful and ACCEPTING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS. We should try doing this in America again.
PaigeJul 24th 2009 12:37PM
I think that part of the reason it took 30 years for there to be an accident is the fact that common courtesy is still common in Japan. Here in the US, Common is simply the name of a rapper. Common sense is rare, common courtesy is practically non-existent. Most accidents could have been prevented with just a little common courtesy. Too often drivers crash into someone because they figure they have a more important reason for getting to the next corner than the other driver. I've seen accidents which occurred because two drivers were both determined to be the first one to reach the red light at the corner.
pottyJul 23rd 2009 10:33AM
Amazing; 29 years and nobody did anything. Talk about LAZY!!!!!!!!!! It is a human thing.
charlieJul 23rd 2009 8:10PM
the green light is on top because it's in Japan - that's how they do things there!! READ the story!
denice.lucenteJul 23rd 2009 11:19AM
I find it impossible to believe, having worked in the signal field for more than 20 years as an electrician. Unless Japan has no requirements for annual checks on the equipment, like we do in the US, this would truly be impossible.
SueJul 23rd 2009 1:18PM
DavidV
Does is really matter that it was a FEMALE that hit you? Get over yourself - men and women alike are crappy drivers. Trust me I have seen more men almost run me down while I am on my bike (motorcycle) and they too have been on their cell phones most of the time
GarlandJul 24th 2009 9:21AM
yes, it does matter.......Dawlin'
John DoeJul 24th 2009 12:34PM
Are you one of the bikers I see always weaving in and out of traffic, disregarding all driving laws... then blaming the car driver when YOU cause the accident?! This is the case with most motorcycle and bicycle drivers.
wizzerJul 23rd 2009 1:29PM
Wow, the cop believed them. A cop in the US wouldn't have believed either driver.
"Yeah, right buddy".
Theresa HartmanJul 23rd 2009 6:36PM
This exact thing happened to me about 25 years ago in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. My light was green, and the cross-light was also green. I ended up t-boning a schoolbus. It barely had a scratch, but my car was totaled. They decided to cite me instead of doing an investigation, but the problem light was fixed pretty quickly afterward. Thank God no one was hurt. I was just shaken.
RobinFeb 20th 2010 9:47PM
The exact same thing happened to me today, about 8 hours ago! And I got the ticket because the guy behind the truck that pulled out in front of me was the driver's bro, and he vouched for him and said the light was green. MINE WAS TOO! But of course no one stopped to see if I was OK.