Lights blinking

buffaloglenn : That intersection! There was an accident there last week where a vehicle was on its side after a collision!

Ok - this has been on my mind for way too long. I need some answers here.Does ANYONE know what causes these lights to blink? Why don't they just 'auto-reset'? It obviously has power, it's blinking.

buffaloglenn : Thanks for letting us know!

buffaloglenn :
Yes, I forgot to mention it. I drove through there this morning around 7 am and they were blinking. Traffic wasn't too bad yet, and everyone was careful to take turns, but it is a really bad intersection for that. I hope they get them working again by this afternoon.

buffaloglenn :
I went through there at 8:30. It amazes me how many people are clueless as to how to treat a 4-way flashing light.

petronoluem :
Let's ask Mr. Science!

"Good evening, boys and girls! Today, we're going to learn about a most helpful guardian of our busy streets - the traffic signal!"You see, in a modern town, traffic lights work by using electricity from power lines - the same kind that lights your home and keeps your radio singing sweet melodies. When the power is flowing, the signal shines bright red, yellow, and green to keep automobiles and pedestrians safe and orderly.But what happens when there's a power outage?Well now, that's when our clever engineers step in!Inside many traffic signal control boxes - often supplied by fine manufacturers such as General Electric - there is a special device called a backup power system, In earlier days, this might have been a simple mechanical flasher. Today, it is often a battery-powered unit.When the main electricity supply fails - perhaps due to a storm or a fallen power line - the traffic signal's control system senses the loss of current. Faster than you can say "Safety first!", it switches over to its backup source.But instead of trying to run the full red-yellow-green cycle - which would require more electricity - the system goes into a special mode: flashing operation.Why flashing?Because a blinking red or yellow light uses less power and sends a clear, simple message:Flashing red means: "Stop! Then proceed when safe."
Flashing yellow means: "Proceed with caution!"This flashing signal is created by a flasher unit - a device that rhythmically turns the light on and off. In the 1950s, such flashing might have been produced by a thermal flasher, much like the ones used in early automobiles made by companies such as Ford Motor Company. Today, electronic controllers perform the same job with marvelous efficiency.So you see, boys and girls, when the power goes out and the traffic light begins to blink, it's not broken at all! It's simply doing its duty in a simpler, safer way - conserving energy while keeping intersections orderly until full power is restored.And that's the marvel of modern engineering - always prepared, always reliable, always working to keep our roads safe!