Poll
Question:
What Do You Call Traffic-Control Devices???
Option 1: Traffic LIGHTS
votes: 27
Option 2: Traffic SIGNALS
votes: 12
Option 3: Stop Lights
votes: 13
Option 4: Red Lights
votes: 1
Option 5: Just "The Light"
votes: 5
Option 6: Just "The Signal"
votes: 1
Option 7: Other
votes: 1
Just out of curiosity...
I have also seen "stop and go lights."
Harbingers
Pride crosswalks
Yes.
Optional
Cars
Muppets
"Lumières". "Feux de circulation" is also a thing.
I want to say I've seen "lantern" used to describe them over in the UK too?
Wish we could have been given the option to select more than one choice.
The term of choice is "traffic signal" and it's what we use in official communications such as press releases.
Personally, I call them either "traffic lights" or "red lights."
More often than not, I call them traffic lights, although I guess there's no wrong way to name them among the choices above.
I chose "stop lights", but also would choose "the light", as in "turn right at the light" when giving someone directions.
When they're green: "light"
When they're red: "light"
When they turn yellow at the exact wrong moment: "little fucking piece of shit"
I call them "traffic lights" because "red lights" and "stoplights" are not always correct (e.g., when it's green, isn't it a "go light"?) and because I associate "signal" with the device in your car that is sometimes variously known as a "blinker," "indicator," or "turn signal."
What I really need is for someone to explain signal heads, signal faces, and signal sections. Like expressways vs. freeways, everything online defines them differently.
Quote from: hbelkins on May 12, 2025, 12:19:01 PMWish we could have been given the option to select more than one choice.
The term of choice is "traffic signal" and it's what we use in official communications such as press releases.
Personally, I call them either "traffic lights" or "red lights."
Exactly. Colloquially I use "traffic lights" or the color of the light at the moment; for more formal engineering situations, I refer to "traffic signals".
Quote from: zzcarp on May 12, 2025, 06:23:46 PMQuote from: hbelkins on May 12, 2025, 12:19:01 PMWish we could have been given the option to select more than one choice.
The term of choice is "traffic signal" and it's what we use in official communications such as press releases.
Personally, I call them either "traffic lights" or "red lights."
Exactly. Colloquially I use "traffic lights" or the color of the light at the moment; for more formal engineering situations, I refer to "traffic signals".
I think the colloquial use is what the OP is looking for. That would be for the majority of us.
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 12, 2025, 05:42:24 PMsignal faces
That's the look on my face after encountering the sixth or seventh fresh red signal in a row.
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 12, 2025, 05:42:24 PMWhat I really need is for someone to explain signal heads, signal faces, and signal sections.
Signal Head - Basically the entire traffic light/signal. A head can have multiple "faces" on it, such as with old 3-way (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7966676,-86.9569193,3a,15y,64.14h,126.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1seOulAT3R8PMJzFK7-IuT2Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-36.76156680282243%26panoid%3DeOulAT3R8PMJzFK7-IuT2Q%26yaw%3D64.14344260546589!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) and 4-way (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8043139,-86.9687041,3a,32.8y,348.91h,112.32t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1stpKVytS0TSXm15bEpgqeww!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-22.31583037008791%26panoid%3DtpKVytS0TSXm15bEpgqeww%26yaw%3D348.90908752697464!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) signals.
Signal Face - The side that "faces" traffic and displays the signal indications, such as red, yellow, green, and the various arrows or symbols that may be shown on the lenses. Basically the part of the signal head that you look at while in traffic to know if you can proceed or not.
Signal Section - This refers more to the construction of signals since about the 1930s or so (for the most part, anyways), at least here in the US. A single signal section is one part of the signal that contains the light, and is attached to other sections to make a full signal:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8065046,-86.9719665,3a,15y,341.9h,106.01t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s11tW_be-H9rvFyp5Bn7xcQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-16.010530683299734%26panoid%3D11tW_be-H9rvFyp5Bn7xcQ%26yaw%3D341.8988842218553!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
The individual joins between the sections should be a bit more visible on these signals, due to them being older "rodded" heads (where the signals are held together via rods running all the way from the top to the bottom of the heads, rather than using internal clamps between each section as with modern signal heads):
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6636006,-85.8367061,3a,32.8y,297.78h,124.41t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sN0xAc0aEGXv6y3pRkEz9Lw!2e0!5s20140401T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-34.406078586068645%26panoid%3DN0xAc0aEGXv6y3pRkEz9Lw%26yaw%3D297.7786798203918!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
This signal also features three McCain sections on it, with an Econolite section tacked onto the bottom, if you want a further demonstration of what a signal section is:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5195656,-86.7981653,3a,15y,168.15h,106.32t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sHIN6IET4D-2CEPwhTzdfpg!2e0!5s20200201T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-16.315058229221464%26panoid%3DHIN6IET4D-2CEPwhTzdfpg%26yaw%3D168.14632919080964!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Back in the day, traffic signals were made using a "unibody" design, where the body of the signal head was one solid cast piece. Obviously, this lead to issues for both the manufacturers, as they had to basically make the signal heads to order, and for cities as damage to one part of the head necessitated replacement of the entire signal. You can occasionally still find unibody signals in service, such as this one in Memphis, TN (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1327797,-90.0260469,3a,15y,261.78h,96.68t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sg2mhQ23zza6kBEURRufWxg!2e0!5s20190301T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-6.682261631908844%26panoid%3Dg2mhQ23zza6kBEURRufWxg%26yaw%3D261.7809315309823!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). I believe in other countries the unibody design lasted longer, such as in the UK where it was carried-over onto the "mellor" style traffic lights (https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4030825,-2.9616766,3a,18.4y,169.6h,91.89t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s1R2ZPmCEhicO9JAVOOKrcg!2e0!5s20210401T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-1.8904993765230245%26panoid%3D1R2ZPmCEhicO9JAVOOKrcg%26yaw%3D169.60321667561982!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) that were used over there from the 60s up into the late-90s/early-2000s, IIRC.
Japan also uses unibody signals on some of their modern LED heads:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6705208,139.7138548,3a,20.4y,352.45h,144.29t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2zwMdoKJ37w9H3OAVN5zLA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-54.290232204548545%26panoid%3D2zwMdoKJ37w9H3OAVN5zLA%26yaw%3D352.44789120805444!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
It appears you can find modern LED unibody signals over in France as well:
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.470717,-0.5529924,3a,22.2y,63.3h,106.38t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sXMMztkTHpTqGAlOzB1hwsA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-16.37869124732393%26panoid%3DXMMztkTHpTqGAlOzB1hwsA%26yaw%3D63.30468325717631!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Quote from: JayhawkCO on May 12, 2025, 04:10:05 PMI chose "stop lights", but also would choose "the light", as in "turn right at the light" when giving someone directions.
This.
I'm not voting, because I use both terms with approximately the same frequency, yet I cannot vote for both.
"One of the stoplights at Central and Rock was burnt out."
"One of the lights at Central and Rock was burnt out."
"Go past the stoplight at Central and Rock."
"Go past the light at Central and Rock."
"Turn left at the stoplight at Central and Rock."
"Turn left at the light at Central and Rock."
Those are all perfectly valid to me. And 'stoplight' is one word, not two.
I tend to say "light" casually and "traffic signal" while writing formally, and know quite a few in the "red light" crowd.
The colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"
Quote from: tchafe1978 on May 19, 2025, 12:10:43 AMThe colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"
That's what my grandmother always called them. I thought it was an old-fashioned thing, not a Wisconsin thing, but now I know.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 19, 2025, 04:55:16 AMQuote from: tchafe1978 on May 19, 2025, 12:10:43 AMThe colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"
That's what my grandmother, who was from Wisconsin, always called them. I thought it was an old-fashioned thing, not a Wisconsin thing, but now I know.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 19, 2025, 04:55:16 AMQuote from: tchafe1978 on May 19, 2025, 12:10:43 AMThe colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"
That's what my grandmother always called them. I thought it was an old-fashioned thing, not a Wisconsin thing, but now I know.
I'm not so sure that it is a Wisconsin thing, having lived there myself.
Quote from: Rothman on May 19, 2025, 06:51:51 AMQuote from: CtrlAltDel on May 19, 2025, 04:55:16 AMQuote from: tchafe1978 on May 19, 2025, 12:10:43 AMThe colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"
That's what my grandmother always called them. I thought it was an old-fashioned thing, not a Wisconsin thing, but now I know.
I'm not so sure that it is a Wisconsin thing, having lived there myself.
Oh. Well, maybe now I don't know.
No, people in Wisconsin call them a 'bubbler', except they pronounce it 'pellow'.
^^We can drink to that.
Quote from: thspfc on May 12, 2025, 04:28:00 PMWhen they turn yellow at the exact wrong moment: "little fucking piece of shit"
Fun fact, each lens in a stoplight housing is at least a foot across.
So the technically correct terminology is just "fucking piece of shit".
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 23, 2025, 09:45:38 PMQuote from: thspfc on May 12, 2025, 04:28:00 PMWhen they turn yellow at the exact wrong moment: "little fucking piece of shit"
Fun fact, each lens in a stoplight housing is at least a foot across.
So the technically correct terminology is just "fucking piece of shit".
Depends, there are still a good few 8 inch signals out there, especially in New York City.
"Lights" is a bad term to use, because "light" can refer to a device providing illumination rather than a device giving information on whether it is safe to proceed. A device providing illumination is referred to as a "lamp", or a "luminaire" if you want to be pretentious. The sets of red-yellow-green lights and the infrastructure supporting them should always be called "signals" for the sake of accuracy and concision. If you want to get more detailed and describe heads, indications, or sections, use the words for heads, indications, or sections.
Quote from: paulthemapguy on May 27, 2025, 01:01:26 PM... if you want to be pretentious. The sets of red-yellow-green lights ... should always be called "signals" ...
Removed excess wording for clarity. :)
Quote from: paulthemapguy on May 27, 2025, 01:01:26 PMif you want to be pretentious.
What if you wanted to be pedantic?
:hmmm:
Quote from: GaryV on May 27, 2025, 04:52:16 PMQuote from: paulthemapguy on May 27, 2025, 01:01:26 PMif you want to be pretentious.
What if you wanted to be pedantic?
:hmmm:
I would correct the minor errors.
Quote from: kphoger on May 27, 2025, 01:21:13 PMQuote from: paulthemapguy on May 27, 2025, 01:01:26 PM... if you want to be pretentious. The sets of red-yellow-green lights ... should always be called "signals" ...
Removed excess wording for clarity. :)
eat shit.
If they have a flashing yellow arrow sequence, they're traffic lights. If they don't, they're stoplights.