Are traffic lights universal?

Came across this one and can't decide if it is a joke or not. Always thought the red, orange, green arrangement was universally used around the globe.

Am planning a trip to China so should find out one way or another.

LOL oh my God! I thought it was the same in all countries,jajajajaja!!!!! Great pic!

Well, once you become fluently bilingual and pass a few tests and jump through any other hoops as described here you'll be well versed in any signs GK that have amber at the top and left and right arrows underneath.

While there, no doubt with the aim in mind of looking for bomber recruits, you could endear yourself by some volutary translation duties

So its not a stop go caution light. More for directing traffic along the lines of flashing amber with something beneath. With it now GN. Thanks.

Had one failure at trying to learn mandarin from a CD. Couldn't get going on the tonal stuff but might try again sometime.

For a visit I don't think it is worth trying to get a Chinese driving license.

Glad you're with it gk because my mandarin ain't going to let me get a licence either - just raising that you're unlikely to need understand their traffic lights/rules like me (just making the arrows up) if not driving.

In Davis California they have a bike traffic light which has a little bike that lights up green when it's the bikers' turn to go. No joke.

quote:

In Davis California they have a bike traffic light which has a little bike that lights up green when it's the bikers' turn to go.

Add that to the long list of "Only in California!" things.

In my limited travel experience the traffic lights are all the same as here--what varies is their adherence to the rules. In Venezuela, it was a free for all. I have never seen anything like it, and would not attempt to drive there.

Yeah I've seen the bike lights before. Nothing weird about those.

The swiss have pedestrian lights with the walking man, but then instead of a flashing hand when it's time to hurry up there's a running man. Funny stuff.

My experience has been that all traffic lights are universal...

green = go

red = stop

yellow = floor it!!

Had a cousin over from NZ who stayed in the UK for a few years who got confused with the lights.

In the uk its goes

red
red and orange if safe to go u can also indicates lights changing to green
green

for stopping it goes

green
orange on own
red

in NZ it is the other way roud.

for crossing its much the same but when the orange flashes it tells the person crossing hurry up or to the driver if there is no one on the crossing its safe to go

quote:

Originally posted by MPags:
My experience has been that all traffic lights are universal...

green = go

red = stop

yellow = floor it!!

In Egypt:
green = go
yellow = go
red = go

They only stop if there's police there telling them to.

I think most traffic lights are universial but they are not all called the same! If you are ever in a car with a South African and they say, turn left at the ROBOT.... don't look around for some tinman doing the robot dance... don't ask me why, but that's what we call traffic lights in SA!

quote:

Originally posted by go girl:
Add that to the long list of "Only in California!" things.

As seen in a number of other countries actually...

on a certain street in the south end of boston you will find a stoplight with the greenlight on top.

zopa
boston resident 1996-97

When I was in Toronto some years ago, they had a huge XXX, three X's hanging across the street, at every block or so, when lit up it would mean stop. I dont know if they still have that, but that was interesting