Road safety: the traffic light is 100 years old

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France 2

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France 2 – E.Bailly, J.Pelletier, A.Pacary, J.Pires, France 3 Corsica

France Televisions

A little over a century ago, on May 5, 1923, the first traffic light was installed in Paris, at the corner of boulevards Sébastopol and Saint-Denis. At the time, a single color, red, accompanied by a bell to warn motorists and passers-by.

It was on the crossroads at the corner of boulevards Sébastopol and Saint-Denis in Paris that 100 years ago, the very first red light in France was installed. At the time, crossing was also the most dangerous with horse-drawn carriages. It was nicknamed “The crossroads of crushed”. In its early days, the fire has only one dial operated by a policeman in his hand. Thanks to him, traffic in the city is improving. It is also the beginning of the highway code. “Everyone finds a safe space on the roads or even on the sidewalks, so it’s a way of pacifying contrary to what one might think”explains Mathieu Flonneau, automobile historian.

In Corsica, the longest fire in France

Fires have entered into usage, sometimes despite personal interpretations. At the question : “What do you do when there’s an orange light?”a biker responds: “I accelerate.” In Corsica, there is the longest traffic light in France, 2.30 min before turning green. The narrow roadway explains the long wait. The city has been waiting for 40 years to get a diversion.


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