Traffic lights malfunctioned nearly 30 years

Source: Daily Yomiuri

For nearly 30 years, two traffic signals at a T-junction in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, simultaneously turned green for about seven seconds at a time, it has been learned.

An accident at the junction in June brought the issue to the attention of the Fukushima prefectural police.

The malfunction was caused by a programming error--a mistake that had never been rectified.

The police have apologized to the drivers involved in the accident and have removed one of the offending signals.

The T-junction is located 1.5 kilometers northeast of JR Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, where a prefectural road meets National Route 49.

One signal was for cars exiting a car dealership on the north side of the junction. The other is a signal with an arrow that lights up to indicate that cars traveling from the east on Route 49 may turn left onto the prefectural road.

On June 19, a car traveling from the east on Route 49 turned left onto the southbound prefectural road and hit a vehicle exiting the car dealership.

Both drivers reportedly told the police the traffic lights were green, which prompted the police to launch an investigation.

How's it possible that nobody noticed before? SEVEN SECONDS? That's a long time. Imagine you are at a red light. The light turns green and now count 7 seconds! In Calgary if you don't move in ONE second someone behind you will honk!

I think everyone in town must have known about it and it was their special traffic light. I would guess that two idiots from out of town decided to run into each other and ruin a 30 year secret! :)