We’ve all been there—sitting at a red light, drumming our fingers on the steering wheel, watching the traffic in every direction except ours get the green.
You start questioning reality. Is this thing broken? Is the universe out to get me? Or worse, you start considering running the light because surely, surely, it’s been stuck on red for way too long.
But what if the problem isn’t the traffic lights? What if it’s actually… you?
Don’t worry, we’re not here to throw you under the bus (or the ute). But according to NSW Road Safety, there’s a good chance you could be the reason that light’s taking forever to change.
And the best part? It’s an easy fix.
Are you stopping in the wrong spot?
NSW Road Safety jumped on Facebook recently to clear up the mystery behind those painfully long red lights, and the answer surprised a lot of drivers.
“Ever feel like a red light is taking forever to turn green? Well… it might be you,” the post said.
“Just kidding—but did you know sensors in the road detect vehicles waiting at stop signals?
“If you don’t pull far enough forward at the intersection, the sensor might not trigger the signal to turn green.
Basically, these smart sensors are designed to keep traffic moving. But if you’re stopping too far back, they might not register that you’re there—meaning you could be waiting for no reason. And during peak traffic, things can get even worse.
The message from NSW Road Safety? Stay patient, follow the signals, and let’s get everyone home safely.
“Wait… it’s not on a timer?”
Plenty of drivers were blown away by this info, admitting they had no idea sensors were controlling the lights.
“Ok mind blown – I thought that was an urban myth!!!” one commenter said.
“I thought it was the little people inside the traffic box who fell asleep,” joked another.
Others reckoned this should be taught to every new driver so more people know how the system works.
Then there were the drivers who already knew the trick and have been stuck behind clueless motorists way too many times.
“If it’s taking a while, sometimes I roll back or move forward a bit and it can trigger the squares,” shared one commenter.
“Been stuck behind heaps of drivers not forward enough. Nearly a car length!” added another.
And then there was this poor bloke:
“I got stuck for ages because the sensor didn’t detect my vehicle. Even tried rolling back and forth over them… Ended up getting out and pushing the pedestrian button.”
So next time you’re stuck at a red light, do yourself (and everyone else) a favour—make sure you’re stopped in the right spot. Could save you a heap of frustration!
