J. of Advancement in Engineering and Technology: Voume1/Issue2 ISSN: 2348-2931 1 Design and Implementation of a Four ways or Junction prototype crossroad traffic light control system Oladimeji Tolulope 1 , Oshevire Patrick 2 , 1, Department of Electrical-Electronic-Engineering, School of Engineering, The Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. 2. Department of Electrical-Electronics, College of Technology, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, (FUPRE), Effurun, Warri. Delta State. *Corresponding author: Oshevire Patrick, Department of Electrical-Electronics, College of Technology, Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Warri. Delta State, Nigeria. E-mail: ask4pat2001@yahoo.com Received: February 15, 2014, Accepted: March 23, 2014, Published: March 24, 2014. ABSTRACT This paper is aimed at creating prototype traffic light model using LED (Light Emitting Diode) since LEDs consume 80-90 percent less energy and generally last 5-7 years or longer compared to just a year for a incandescent light signal.LED are brighter, the LED arrays fill the entire “hole” and have equal brightness across the entire surface, making them brighter overall. It will also involves the use of a digital logic gate, multivibrator, IC (Integrated Circuit), timer for the design and circuit simulation to analysis the system efficiency. This design has for long outweighed the older system in many ways it is more efficient and effective as well, as it can enhance the transportation system of the country saving many hours usually lost in traffic problems. Accidents may also be prevented and lives can be saved and It can be used effectively by implementing in heavily congested areas. Keyword: Controller, LED (Light Emitting Diode),Prototype, Traffic, INTRODUCTION Traffic light which is one of the vital public facilities that plays an important role to the road users. Traffic lights were first installed in 1868 in London, United Kingdom, outside the British Houses of Parliament in London, by the railway engineer J. P. Knight and constructed by the railway signal engineers of Saxby & Farmer. The design combined three semaphore arms with red and green gas lamps for night-time use, on a pillar, operated by a police constable. The gas lantern was turned with a lever at its base so that the appropriate light faced traffic. Although it was said to be successful at controlling traffic, its operational life was brief. It exploded on 2 January 1869, as a result of a leak in one of the gas lines underneath the pavement, injuring and killing the policeman who was operating it. With doubts about its safety, the concept was abandoned until electric signals became available. The first electric traffic light was developed in 1912 by Lester Wire, an American policeman of Salt Lake City, Utah, who also used red-green lights. Mary Bellis (5 February 1952).On 5 August 1914, the American Traffic Signal Company installed a traffic signal system on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Ohio. It had two colors, red and green, and a buzzer, (based on the design of James Hoge) to provide a warning for color changes. The design by James Hoge allowed police and fire stations to control the signals in case of emergency. The first four-way, three-color traffic light was created by police officer William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. Moyer, Sheldon (March 1947). In 1922, T.E. Hayes patented his "Combination traffic guide and traffic regulating signal" (Patent #1447659). Ashville, Ohio claims to be the location of the oldest working traffic light in the United States, used at an intersection of public roads until 1982 when it was moved to a local museum (Neato Stuff at the Ashville Museum).The traffic lights consist of a set of three coloured lights: red, yellow and green.( In a typical cycle, Illumination of the green light allows traffic to proceed in the direction denoted, Illumination of the amber/yellow light denoting, if safe to do so, prepare to stop short of the intersection, and Illumination of the red signal prohibits any traffic from proceeding). [ 1,2] HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF TRAFFIC LIGHT SYTEM Traffic light system consists of two parts, first part is traffic light and the second part is controller unit. Traffic light which is one of vital public facilities plays an important role to the road user, which is used to control traffic flows at the busy intersection. JOURNAL OF ADVANCEMENT IN ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY Journal homepage: http://scienceq.org/Journals/JAET.php Research Article Open Access