Before the 1920s, city intersections were chaotic free-for-alls of horses, pedestrians, and early Fords. The invention of the three-color traffic light by Garrett Morgan was more than a mechanical feat; it was a psychological contract. It taught us that "red" means a universal pause for the collective good.
Today, we take the traffic signal for granted, but it remains the most successful piece of automated governance in history. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, synchronized signals can reduce travel time by 25%. The traffic light is a reminder that without a shared set of signals, our modern "high-speed" society would grind to a halt within minutes.
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