Garrett A. Morgan
Inventor of the three-position traffic signal and safety hood
At a glance
- Inventor
- Garrett A. Morgan
- Life
- 1877–1963
- Birthplace
- Claysville, Kentucky
- Country
- United States
- Region
- United States
- Era
- 1900–1950
- Fields
- Transportation, Medicine & Health
- Evidence
- Verified
- Records
- 2 in this archive
What they did
Morgan patented a safety hood that let rescuers breathe in smoke-filled spaces, and a T-shaped traffic signal with a third 'all-stop' position between changes.
Historical context
Early traffic signals switched instantly from stop to go, so vehicles already in the intersection had nowhere to be. Morgan reportedly witnessed a severe collision before designing his.
Obstacles
Morgan sometimes hired a white actor to demonstrate his safety hood to buyers in the South, because he knew orders would not come otherwise.
The legacy
The interval that became the amber light is the direct descendant of his third position. General Electric bought the patent rights.
The evidence
US Patent 1,475,024 — Traffic signal
US Patent 1,113,675 — Breathing device
Garrett A. Morgan papers
Innovations in this archive
Safety hood (breathing device)
A hood with long intake tubes hanging near the floor, where smoke is thinner, plus a moist absorbent lining.
Three-position traffic signal
A T-shaped signal with a third, intermediate all-stop position that halted traffic in every direction before the change.