Celebrate the 101st birthday of the electric traffic signal

If you have been on Google today (and for most internet users, that means most of them have) you’ll notice that the “Google Doodle” is in honor of the 101st birthday of the electric traffic signal. Back in 1914, an intersection in nearby Cleveland, Ohio — 105th and Euclid, to be exact — was adorned with the red and green lights that we have become so accustomed to for the first time.

While this day is significant, few people will recognize it. Much like how many people don’t even consider the importance of traffic signals. We are so conditioned to have them there, leading us and showing us how to proceed, that we can’t even imagine what the world would be like without them. Well, before that day back in 1914, traffic signals had to be operated by an individual person at the intersection, and the signals often exploded since they were gas lamps.

What is even worse is the fact that many people ignore these signals in a literal sense. They run red lights; they don’t pay attention to who has the right of away; and as a result, they cause accidents that otherwise wouldn’t have happened if they had been paying attention.

These negligent drivers have a lot to answer for, let alone a lot of liability that has been thrown on their shoulders. Those who have been injured by a negligent driver need to consult an experienced personal injury attorney to get the justice that they deserve.

Source: ABC News, “Google Doodle Celebrates 101st Anniversary of the First Electric Traffic Light,” Alyssa Newcomb, Aug. 5, 2015