No, flashing your headlights does not make traffic lights change.
The notion that flashing your headlights will somehow trigger a traffic light to turn green is a common misconception. In reality, traffic lights operate based on a variety of detection methods, none of which are affected by headlight flashing.
Here's a breakdown of how traffic lights typically work:
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Timers: Many traffic lights operate on a pre-set timer, cycling through green, yellow, and red lights at fixed intervals. Flashing headlights would have absolutely no impact on this system.
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Inductive Loops: These are wire coils buried in the pavement that detect the presence of vehicles. When a car sits over the loop, the change in inductance signals to the traffic light controller that a vehicle is waiting. Headlight flashes do not interact with this system.
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Cameras: Some intersections use cameras to detect vehicles. These cameras use image processing to identify cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Again, a headlight flash will not be registered as a vehicle detection.
Therefore, repeatedly flashing your high beams in an attempt to change a traffic light is ineffective and could potentially be dangerous, as it may distract other drivers.
