Thousands are only just discovering the purpose of the ‘box shapes’ on roads at intersections in Australia.
While it may seem like common knowledge, the lines are sensors to monitor traffic flow.
The in-pavement loops work by detecting metallic objects, such as a car or bike. If the objects remain a message is sent to change the traffic lights but if the object moves away, the message is cancelled.
Transport New South Wales revealed the true purpose by sharing images of the sensors – and many admitted they had ‘no idea’ the system existed or how it works.
If the sensors notice more traffic on one side of the intersection than the other, it ‘communicates’ with the traffic lights to adjust the configuration accordingly, the Facebook post revealed.
‘Ever noticed these box shapes in the road at intersections? They’re actually sensors to monitor traffic flow,’ the caption read.
‘That’s why if you pull up to a red light late at night, you’ll see it turns green almost immediately.’ The sensors can be spotted on roads across Australia.
The post quickly caught the attention of others, many of which couldn’t believe so many people were clueless about the road sensors.
More than 2,200 people liked the post and 703 comments were made.
‘How do people not already know this!’ one wrote.
‘Omg finally someone providing this integral information. I’m so frustrated when drivers aren’t in these and you have to wait to trigger the lights,’ another wrote.
‘More people need to understand this so they stop pulling up too far back from them. I was stuck behind a tax once who didn’t move up and we sat there for ages,’ a third added.
‘I thought this was a well know fact but it definitely isnt in my area. This needs to be advertised more widely, alot of ppl stop just before the sensors. It’s ridiculous,’ another added.
‘Driving instructors should educate new drivers about this. There’s lots of new drivers who stop a car length away from these sensors and they wonder why the right arrow lights don’t turn green,’ anhother argued.
Earlier this year Australia’s weirdest and wackiest road signs left tourists confused and a little afraid.
Driving in Australia can be particularly hazardous due to the country’s wildlife so the roads are peppered with warning signs to alert drivers.
Some are easy to decipher like the classic kangaroo crossing sign however others leave travellers scratching their heads.
Cheeky vandals also like to add to the confusion by illegally altering signs with imaginative doodles.
The ‘most liked’ signs on Instagram were also uncovered by Right2Drive with the Tasmanian Devil topping the list with more than 23,000 reactions.
Shown with its mouth open and baring its teeth, the Tasmanian Devil has its own sign found only on the island state to encourage drivers to look out for the marsupials that have been endangered since 2008.
A passerby even added a pair of bat wings to one sign to make the Tasmanian devil appear more menacing.
In Exmouth, Western Australia, emus run wild and can be very dangerous to run into on the road.
