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In traffic control, the brief interval when a traffic light shows a red (for "stop") in all directions. Until the 1970s, most traffic lights would switch red-to-green at the same instant that the other direction went yellow-to-red. Because accidents would sometimes occur at that transition, New York City innovated a phase, usually about three to five seconds, of all-red lights, so the intersection would be completely clear before actuating the green ("go") signal. The "New York pause" has become widespread across the U.S.
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