It’s hard to imagine a world without traffic lights. These overlooked signal devices are what keep the world moving, literally!
However, traffic lights can also pose a hazard. If they’re not properly constructed, they might fall over and cause plenty of damage. This poses the question, how much do traffic lights weigh?
The answer to this question can be complicated. That’s because different countries have different traffic lights. Additionally, the weight of the traffic light also depends on its height. Still, an average American traffic light can weigh anywhere between 30 and 50 pounds.
In this article, we’ll go in-depth about all things related to traffic lights and their weight. So, keep reading to find the answers to all your questions.
How Much Do Traffic Lights Weigh?
It might surprise you to find out that an average traffic light weight is about 30 to 50 pounds. Even though traffic lights appear much larger, and thus heavier, they’re only 3½ feet tall.
In addition, traffic lights are made out of thin hollow metal, typically aluminum. Aluminum is lighter than most types of metal, and it’s just as durable.
Some traffic lights are made of plastic, specifically polycarbonate. Those are much lighter and weigh about 15 to 30 pounds only.
There are two types of traffic light sizes. To elaborate, there are two different sizes of lenses, each type has a different diameter.
The lens diameter can either be eight inches or 12 inches. Naturally, the 12-inch traffic lights weigh more than the eight-inch ones.
History of Traffic Lights and Their Weight
The first traffic light was installed back on the 10th of December, 1868. It was located in London, at Parliament Square.
However, the first traffic light didn’t have the right design. It was heavy and unsafe. Within two months of installation, it exploded and fell.
Moving forward to 1923, this year marked the birth of the first mechanical traffic light that ran on electricity. It was installed in Paris, France, and other cities around the world following this amazing invention.
At first, traffic lights were made of heavy steel or cast iron, which wasn’t efficient. In recent years, traffic lights are made of corrosion-resistant aluminum and molded polypropylene plastic.
What Are Traffic Lights Made of?
To have a better understanding of how much traffic lights weigh, you need to know the parts and components of traffic lights and what each one is made of.
Let’s discuss each part of the traffic light in detail.
The Housing of the Traffic Light
In most traffic lights, the housing is made of aluminum. To be more specific, it’s made with aluminum that has anti-corrosion and rust-resistant features.
It’s usually made of high-quality aluminum to have a longer life span and to withstand all the tough conditions of the weather.
In other traffic lights, the housing is made of polypropylene plastic (PP). Polypropylene is a thermoplastic made by combining propylene monomers.
Some people think that plastic isn’t a durable material. However, this isn’t the case with polypropylene.
This thermoplastic is light and durable. It’s resistant to chemical changes, and it doesn’t conduct electricity. Additionally, PP is relatively cheap compared to other options.
The Lenses of the Traffic Light
There are two types of lenses in traffic lights: plastic and glass. Tinted glass was one of the most popular options. However, glass tends to break easily.
As a result, we now use colored plastic for traffic light lenses. It’s lighter than glass and harder to break.
In direct sunlight, you may have trouble telling the color of the traffic lights. It’s called the sun phantom effect. It can cause a lot of problems as it may lead any person to misinterpret the color of the traffic lights, which may lead to an accident happening.
The visor above each traffic light color was the perfect solution for this issue. It creates a shade on the lens that reduces the sun phantom effect. As a result, you’ll have no problem telling the color of the traffic lights on any sunny day.
This visor is usually made of the same material as the rest of the housing. Fortunately, the visor doesn’t add significant weight to the traffic light.
The Light Bulb
The bulb inside the traffic light is special. It has a long lifespan to avoid having to replace it now and then. Typically, the light bulbs in traffic lights should last around 8,000 hours before they need a replacement.
Moreover, in most traffic lights, a metal reflector goes behind the light bulb to reflect most of the light forward. That makes it clearer for any person to identify the color of the traffic lights.
Recently, most countries switched to LED bulbs. The best thing about LED lights is that they save a lot of energy.
On average, LED bulbs use around 15 watts of power. On the other hand, traditional incandescent bulbs use 100 watts of power. The difference is huge, especially in long-term use.
Moreover, LED bulbs are much cheaper, and they require less maintenance. More importantly, LED lights are smaller than regular halogen bulbs. As a result, they’re lighter.
Are Traffic Lights Dangerously Heavy?
Traffic lights are way lighter than they used to be. Additionally, they now have better safety measures to ensure they don’t fall easily.
Unfortunately, traffic lights will still do significant damage if they fall. However, that’s very unlikely to happen without a reason.
In other words, there’s nothing to worry about if it’s windy, and you’re standing next to a traffic light. Traffic lights can withstand the toughest conditions.
Conclusion
So, how much do traffic lights weigh?
On average, an American traffic light can weigh about 30 to 50 pounds. However, that depends on what the traffic light is made of.
Some traffic lights are made of anti-corrosive aluminum, while others are made of polypropylene plastic. In general, polypropylene is lighter than aluminum.
As a result, polypropylene traffic lights can weigh around 15 to 30 pounds only. On the other hand, aluminum traffic lights can weigh around 30 to 50 pounds.