# Will flicking headlights change traffic lights from red to green?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-flicking-headlights-change-traffic-lights-from-red-to-green/115468>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 22, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-flicking-headlights-change-traffic-lights-from-red-to-green/115468 "2002-06-22T17:46:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-flicking-headlights-change-traffic-lights-from-red-to-green/115468/21 "2002-06-23T20:32:04Z")

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At certain of **our** traffic lights, unless one has a car approaching the intersection to one’s right or left, one could sit there for hours waiting for the light to change.

When that happens, I just wait till I think the light should have cycled, and then gradually ease away from my stop. Still makes me paranoid, though. 😉

Quasi

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**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-flicking-headlights-change-traffic-lights-from-red-to-green/115468/22 "2002-06-23T20:42:05Z")

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I have noticed it a lot around here, in southern Ontario. Hamilton, Guelph, Waterloo, Mississauga all seem to have that little box sensor up on busy intersection lights. I think its a great idea, and I do hope it becomes more wide-spread.

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