World’s first traffic light installed 150 years ago

Today marks 150 years since the world’s first traffic light was installed close to Westminster Bridge in London, though its first appearance in the UK was brief following a disaster.

The gas-powered traffic light was installed at the junction of Great George Street and Bridge Street in Westminster on Dec 9 1868, under the manual control of a policeman.

Nottingham engineer John Peake Knight took the idea from the railway signalling system, but a leaky gas mains resulted in one of the traffic lights exploding and burning the policeman on duty – some accounts suggest he may have even been killed – resulting in the trial being scrapped.