Hacking traffic lights?

[I-90]

Wonder how the department of transportation thinks about this

[hotdogPi]

He's probably just timing the button presses so that he presses the button when the light turns green.

[Roadgeekteen]

Gosh, he did not even try to make this look sorta real. The light turned green a good 3-5 seconds before he pressed the remote.

[Max Rockatansky]

There was a guy out in Scottsdale, AZ about a decade ago that had some sort of switch that emulated the one that emergency services used to change the light to green.  Apparently Scottsdale PD had to put up officers at major intersections for a couple rush hours to find out who was doing it. 

[Roadgeekteen]

There was a guy out in Scottsdale, AZ about a decade ago that had some sort of switch that emulated the one that emergency services used to change the light to green.  Apparently Scottsdale PD had to put up officers at major intersections for a couple rush hours to find out who was doing it.

Did he get caught? If so what was the punishment?

[Max Rockatansky]

There was a guy out in Scottsdale, AZ about a decade ago that had some sort of switch that emulated the one that emergency services used to change the light to green.  Apparently Scottsdale PD had to put up officers at major intersections for a couple rush hours to find out who was doing it.

Did he get caught? If so what was the punishment?

Yes he was caught fairly easily because it was at the same time everyday on Scottsdale Road.  I want to say his driver's license was revoked and there was heavy fines.  I'd have to check my old statue book for Arizona to see what he was charged with because I can't find any articles since it has been at least a decade.

[jeffandnicole]

Wonder how the department of transportation thinks about this

Probably gave them a good laugh for a day.

In case you forgot how traffic lights work, a light is green, then yellow, then red.  If a guy could turn the light from red to green instantly, wouldn't that cause traffic on the other street to go from green to red instantly, causing all sorts of issues?

And why would a guy sit in traffic at an intersection if he has the ability to turn the light green instantly?

[epzik8]

Wiring a traffic light to a DirecTV remote?! Not possible.

[Roadgeekteen]

Wonder how the department of transportation thinks about this

Probably gave them a good laugh for a day.

In case you forgot how traffic lights work, a light is green, then yellow, then red.  If a guy could turn the light from red to green instantly, wouldn't that cause traffic on the other street to go from green to red instantly, causing all sorts of issues?

And why would a guy sit in traffic at an intersection if he has the ability to turn the light green instantly?

Why? He wants to cause trouble.

[hm insulators]

I remember years ago, buses on certain streets in L.A. had a device they could use to get a green light, similar to what's being discussed here. Are they still doing that?

[ajlynch91]

It is impossible to "hack" a traffic signal, at least with a DirecTV remote, as the controller is on a private, local network. Even if someone were to hack a signal, you wouldn't be able to cause a conflict (having opposing greens come up at the same time), the signal would just go into a red flash if a conflict occurred, as there's a device independent of the controller that acts as a fail safe for such a situation.

As far as buses getting a green, that is nothing more than a preemptor, which would act as a second precedence to the bus after emergency vehicles. Waukegan, IL (of all places) used to use them a few years ago, but for whatever reason the project and idea was abandoned. I'm not sure where or even if anyone is using that for their bus system, although it would be a great idea for bus rapid transit lines.

[7/8]

As far as buses getting a green, that is nothing more than a preemptor, which would act as a second precedence to the bus after emergency vehicles. Waukegan, IL (of all places) used to use them a few years ago, but for whatever reason the project and idea was abandoned. I'm not sure where or even if anyone is using that for their bus system, although it would be a great idea for bus rapid transit lines.

Waterloo Region uses these for the 200 iXpress bus route.

http://www.grt.ca/en/about-grt/express-buses.aspx

The 200 iXpress bus uses transit priority signals to move along routes more quickly. These signals detect buses as they approach and either extend the green or shorten the red signal to minimize delays.

[roadman]

Wonder if he's related to the guy who tried to convince people that the newest iPhones have a "hidden" headphone jack that could be revealed by drilling a hole into the case?

"But, but, but - I saw it on the INTERNET!  So it MUST be true."

[LM117]

The talk about hacking reminded me of this incident in North Carolina that happened in 2013.

http://www.wral.com/hacked-dot-alert-warns-of-women-drivers-rain-obama-care-/13082760/