A Review Of Aotearoa's Traffic Lights.

I know this doesn’t need an opinion, but: traffic lights in NZ are so much better than UK ones.
In the UK, you have a ~30cmx10cmx10cm trapezoid prism. With a button of diameter ~1cm! What a waste of space!

But in NZ, it is ~15cmx5cmx5cm. And the button is the bottom half of the control. The other half is an arrow, so we what the traffic lights do. and this may sound frivolous, but until you know have experienced it - only then do you appreciate the value of it.

The button in the UK, is so mundane and plastic, that the cover does nothing (when it is even there)! In NZ, it is a metal bucking spring - that is more durable, easier to push, much more satisfying and much smarter than a button stalk.

The sounds are infinitely more interesting, space age tones, that vary depending on what’s happening. But in the UK, you get a simple alarm clock BEEP. The only advantageoff the UK version is the slightly louder sound (or quieter city).

In NZ, there is. a countdown as to whentjhe light goes red - whereas in the UK you only get a cryptic series of beeps when it is “safe” to start crossing. And this isn’t even implemented consistently! Some just don’t beep, and for some it only beeps when it is not safe to cross!

The only thing the UK has left is spinning knob at the bottom of the controls to tell blind people (or just when you can’t see the lights) when to cross.

I know that the traffic lights adopted by Aotearoa New Zealand have much adoption worldwide (but I am not in those countries ;) )! And this adoption is for good reason!