1980 Siemens traffic light

1980 Siemens traffic light whit old (US style stencils) on the left. On the right is the newer Euro style stencils. Filmed on Schlossstrasse in the Steglitz area in Berlin June 2008.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Siemens
• traffic
• light
• Ampel
• Verkehrsampel
• Berlin

[JasperNagtzaam]

The light on the right is not necissarily more Euro style. It's true that in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland it is common to use full lenses with black arrows (or just a black outline of an arrow) in yellow/amber and red lights. However, in Belgium, Great Britain, Holland and Iceland alone, traffic lights for left and right directions don't use full lenses with a black arrow for yellow/amber and red, but are all three coloured arrows. Any idea why the one would be preferred over the other?

[siemenstraffic]

@JasperNagtzaam My guess in this case is red and yellow lenses are easier to see if they don't use the full cover mask or it just could be for the color blind so they can know which one is the "green arrow".

[JasperNagtzaam]

From a distance, it is easier to see the sort of light (the direction), when (all three) arrows are used. But the 'colour blind' example is a proper suggestion when it comes to night time situations. However, when lights have a background shield with a white edge (as most in The Netherlands do) this does not apply, because it adds visibility with regard to which light is the top one, even from a distance.

(I was wrong about GB lights, btw. They have full, unmarked lenses for red & amber)