<P> The world 's first traffic light was short lived . It was a manually operated gas - lit signal installed in London in December 1868 . It exploded less than a month after it was implemented , injuring its policeman operator . Traffic control started to seem necessary in the late 1890s and Earnest Sirrine from Chicago patented the first automated traffic control system in 1910 . It used the words `` STOP '' and `` PROCEED '' , although neither word lit up . </P>
<P> The world 's first traffic light was short lived . It was a manually operated gas - lit signal installed in London in December 1868 . It exploded less than a month after it was implemented , injuring its policeman operator . Traffic control started to seem necessary in the late 1890s and Earnest Sirrine from Chicago patented the first automated traffic control system in 1910 . It used the words `` STOP '' and `` PROCEED '' , although neither word lit up . </P>
when was the first manual traffic signal invented
when was the first manual traffic signal invented
1868
1868