Drivers in China are being left completely dumbfounded as to how to navigate a busy junction without violating the law or getting themselves killed. The reason being that a traffic light installed in one town gives them just one second to pull out before turning back to red.

We hope you have a car with a decent engine.

Under these circumstances, even putting your foot on the accelerator and making a dash for it wouldn’t plausibly allow the driver to make it safely past the light within the given time. The traffic light in question is installed in the city of Dongguan, in Guandong Province, China. Examining the YouTube video below, we can see that the traffic light remains red for a total of 71 seconds before then turning green for just one. Blink and you might just miss it.

One netizen who encountered this traffic light first-hand made the following comment:

“To be honest with you, I thought the traffic light was broken or something.”

Another said:

“In the town of Shenzhen, there’s a traffic light that turns green for just five seconds. This is just about enough time to let one car go through before having to stop again.”

Drivers in the Beijing area who ignore a red light face a fine of US$1.50. While this isn’t the biggest penalty ever, if the same rules apply for the towns in which the one-second or five-second traffic lights are installed, it’s not difficult to imagine how costs could soon mount up thanks to these infernal contraptions!

Source: YouTube Kevin Tse

The traffic light that turns green for just one second!

Here’s one that gives a slightly more generous five seconds.

[ Read in Japanese ]