Thousands of people are just discovering the purpose of road “box shapes” at intersections across Australia.
While it may seem like common knowledge, the lines are sensors to monitor traffic flow.
Curbside circuits work by detecting metal objects, such as a car or bicycle. If the objects remain, a message is sent to change the traffic light, but if the object moves away, the message is canceled.
Transport New South Wales revealed the true purpose by sharing images of the sensors, with many admitting they had “no idea” the system existed or how it works.
If the sensors detect more traffic on one side of the intersection than the other, it “communicates” with the traffic lights to adjust the settings accordingly, the Facebook post revealed.
‘Have you ever noticed these box shapes on the road at intersections? “They are actually sensors to monitor traffic flow,” the caption read.
“So if you stop at a red light late at night, you’ll see it turn green almost immediately.” The sensors can be detected on roads across Australia.
The post quickly caught the attention of others, many of whom couldn’t believe so many people had no idea about road sensors.
While it may seem like common knowledge, lines on the road at intersections are sensors for monitoring traffic flow.
Transport New South Wales revealed the true purpose by sharing images of the sensors, with many having “no idea” the system existed or how it works.
More than 2,200 people liked the post and 703 comments were made.
‘How come people don’t already know!’ one wrote.
‘My goodness, finally someone provides this comprehensive information. I get very frustrated when drivers are not in these and you have to wait to turn on the lights,” another wrote.
‘More people need to understand this to stop getting too far away from them. “I was once stuck behind a tax that didn’t go up and we sat there for a long time,” added a third.
‘I thought this was a well-known fact, but it’s definitely not in my area. This needs to be advertised more widely, many people stop just before the sensors. “It’s ridiculous,” added another.
‘Driving teachers should raise awareness among new drivers about this issue. “There are a lot of new drivers who stop within a distance of these sensors and wonder why the right arrow lights don’t turn green,” argued another.
Earlier this year, Australia’s strangest and wackiest road signs left tourists confused and a little scared.
Driving in Australia can be particularly dangerous due to the country’s wildlife, so roads are littered with warning signs to alert drivers.
Australia’s strangest and most outlandish road signs have been revealed, including one in Exmouth that supposedly warns drivers that emus are being slaughtered in the area.
The Tasmanian devil has its own sign only found in the island state to encourage drivers to keep an eye out for the endangered marsupials since 2008.
Some are easy to decipher, like the classic kangaroo crossing sign, but others leave travelers scratching their heads.
Brazen vandals also like to add to the confusion by illegally altering signs with imaginative doodles.
The most liked posters on Instagram were also discovered by Right2Drive with the Tasmanian Devil topping the list with over 23,000 reactions.
Shown with its mouth open and teeth bared, the Tasmanian devil has its own sign found only in the island state to encourage drivers to keep an eye out for the endangered marsupials since 2008.
One passerby even added a pair of bat wings to a sign to make the Tasmanian devil look more menacing.
In Exmouth, Western Australia, emus run wild and can be very dangerous to encounter on the road.