Can You Really Influence an Illinois Traffic Light to Turn Green?

Is there anything more frustrating than pulling up to an intersection in Illinois and waiting for a light to turn green? Some people believe that you can influence traffic lights to turn green by doing things like honking your horn or flashing your lights. Did you know that in some cases there are things you can do?

I love cars, but I never claimed to be a travel or traffic expert. The best car that I've ever owned was a 1982 Firebird that I still tell stories about to this day (and some are actually true). My point is I'm no expert, but I found some interesting traffic tips from The Family Handyman about how you can sometimes influence a traffic light in Illinois to turn green.

Let's get the most obvious questions out of the way from the start. Can you make a traffic light turn green by flashing your lights or honking?

Short answer - NO. How Stuff Works says modern traffic light systems in Illinois either have timers or sensors. Most are timed lights, but some do have sensors. However, they don't detect noises or flashing lights. The guide says that if it's a sensor light, you can cause the light to begin the cycle to turn green simply by making sure you're near the traffic line that it's designed to monitor. It also says that in some rare cases, an intersection in Illinois might have a sensor designed to detect heat from an engine which is what will happen when you stop at the line and idle.

I believe most of the Illinois intersections I deal with on a daily basis are timed lights which can be a bummer when you pull up right after it's gone red again.