document_title: Traffic-light signalling and operation

question_text: what does a blinking green light in canada mean

question_tokens: what does a blinking green light in canada mean

text: Traffic-light signalling and operation

text: Flashing beacons[edit]

text: In the United States, a flashing red light is the equivalent of a stop sign. In the United States and Australia, flashing yellow does not require traffic to stop, but drivers should exercise caution since opposing traffic may enter the intersection after stopping. This may be used when there is a malfunction with the signals, or late at night when there is little traffic. A single four-way flashing light showing only one color in each direction may be used at intersections where full three-color operation is not needed, but stop or yield signs alone have not had acceptable safety performance. Yellow lights are displayed to the main road, to highlight the intersection and inform drivers of the need for caution. Red lights supplement stop signs on the side road approaches. All-way red flashing lights can supplement all-way stop control, but all-way yellow beacons are prohibited by United States regulations.

text: In New Zealand, paired red/red traffic lights are often installed outside Fire and Ambulance Stations on major roads, which when activated by the station, flash alternatively (so that at any time one red light is always showing), the purpose being to cause to traffic to stop for a set amount of time to allow emergency vehicles to exit their station safely.

text: In some parts of Canada, a flashing green (known as Advanced Green) light signals permission for a left turn before the opposing traffic is allowed to enter the intersection, i.e., oncoming traffic is facing a RED light. Similarly, a flashing green may be an Extended Green, for left turns after the opposing traffic's full green phase. The flashing light may be a "full" green, or a green left arrow, both meaning the same thing. At least one traffic light in Montreal (on the Island of Montreal, 'Right-on-Red' is not allowed), has a flashing right-turn arrow, indicating that the pedestrian crossing has a red light, so it is safe to turn right and drive across it. At some intersections in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a flashing green right-turn arrow appears with a red light when traffic from the right has a green flashing left-turn arrow and is not allowed to make a U-turn. In other parts of the same country (e.g., Vancouver) a flashing green light conveys a very different meaning: the crossing road has stop signs with no lights of its own, and oncoming traffic also has a flashing green, not a red stop-light. This functions the same as a European "priority" sign (a yellow-and-white diamond shaped sign indicating that the current street is a Priority or "main" road, which cross streets must yield to at uncontrolled junctions, opposite to the usual arrangement in many European countries), for which there is no direct equivalent in North America.

text: The new US 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices specifically prohibits flashing any green signal indication.[1]

text: Unusual traffic light phases[edit]

text: Turn indications[edit]

text: Turn prohibition[edit]

text: Some signals have a special phase where there is a red light illuminated simultaneously with a green arrow. The meaning of this configuration is that a motorist may only proceed in the direction of the arrow. In the Province of Quebec, a signal may display a green straight arrow alone, usually for 5 to 9 seconds, and then the full green (or right turn arrow) illuminates. This allows pedestrians to engage into the roadway, and therefore (in theory) increases safety. Soldier's Field Road in Brighton, Massachusetts at the intersection with Nonantum Road, Birmingham Parkway and North Beacon Streets always has a red ball. Green arrows appear with the red ball to allow traffic to travel in a particular direction, but the red ball is always illuminated. The same is true at the intersection of Cambridge Street and Massachusetts Avenue near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the intersection of Delaware Avenue at Harrison Street in Wilmington, Delaware, and at the intersection of West 3rd Street and Mesaba Avenue in Duluth, Minnesota. This is also true in Chicago; the straight off straight on ramps from Lake Shore Drive to N Fullerton Ave display a red light and left turn arrow or a red light, never just a green arrow.

text: On the island of Montréal, Québec, Canada, it is forbidden to turn right while a red signal is present. At many intersections, lights will change from red to a green arrow permitting drivers to proceed straight through the intersection. After approximately 5 seconds, the green arrow is replaced with a green ball signal allowing drivers to proceed forward or turn as they wish.

text: In the United Kingdom, there is normally no need for red or yellow "arrow" lights, and no provision for them in law. Layouts are typically simple, either a plain three-disc all-directions signal; the same with a green left or right "filter" arrow which lights up either independently of the main green (permitting a left or right turn at an otherwise red light) or along with it (showing that any conflicting traffic has been stopped so turning traffic does not need to yield); or in multiple full sets where the horizontal positioning and lane layout (particularly where lanes are segregated by kerbs or islands) denotes which directions are stopped or free to move. However, the lack of red and yellow arrows can lead to unusual setups with non standard road layouts, such as a staggered entrance and exit to a busy retail park at one side of a mostly 2-lane (plus turning lane) road. The exit crossing has a normal set of 3-way lights (with the slight oddity that small numbers of vehicles can be momentarily "trapped" inside the junction by the inward-facing red light), as exiting traffic conflicts with both travel directions on the main road. However, the entrance crossing (from the side opposite the complex) only conflicts with oncoming traffic as it is a one-way system, and traffic on that side of the road conflicts with nothing; indeed at times it is itself mostly exit-traffic. Stopping it at the same time as the entrance flow would cause unnecessary congestion. With multi-colour arrows available, a simple all-turn red/yellow/green set could be installed, and the turning lane slightly kerbed off to make the division plain. In their absence, it is easy to mistake a red disc as an "all stop" signal... so, the straight ahead direction gets a solo permanently lit straight-ahead arrow, bolted onto the side of a red disc, yellow disc, and conflicting-turn green arrow triplet.

text: In the United States, some intersections have a three-lens signal without arrows with an adjoining three-lens signal (with arrows) governing exclusive left- or right-turns. Signals with circular lenses generally control all movements. At such intersections, the exclusive turn signals indicate that there are no permissive turn movements at that intersection, and that only exclusive turn movements are allowed. At those intersections, the signals with circular lenses govern movements in all directions except those in the direction which the turn signal controls. This means that if there is a left-turn signal and a circular-lens signal at an intersection, the latter signal controls right turns and straight movements, but not left turns. If the former signal is showing a red arrow, and the latter signal is showing a green ball, then motorists cannot turn left even though the latter light is showing a green ball.

text: Indication of protected turn[edit]

text: Throughout most of the United States a protected turn (a turn that can be made without conflicting traffic) is indicated by a steady burning 12-inch-diameter (300 mm) green arrow pointing in the direction of the turn. This indication may be displayed in a separate traffic signal head or may be in combination with other arrows or a green ball indication on the same signal such as with the Dallas Phasing configuration described below. Modern signal standards require that a yellow "clearance" interval be displayed for not less than three seconds prior to the protected turn interval ending.

text: Throughout Canada, as in the United States, a green arrow indicates protected movement in the direction of the arrow. In British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, green turn arrows may or may not flash; both cases indicate a protected turn phase, but a flashing green arrow indicates that the protected phase will be followed by a permissive phase.

text: In parts of Canada (the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta[2]), a flashing circular green light indicates right-of-way to proceed in any direction; all other entrances to the intersection will face red lights, and all pedestrian signals will indicate do-not-cross. Ontario formerly used a flashing circular green for this purpose but officially discontinued this practice on January 1, 2010.[3] The flashing-green phase usually precedes a normal green phase, in which case it is known as an advanced green, and an ADVANCED GREEN WHEN FLASHING sign will often be mounted next to the signal, possibly with a corresponding DELAYED GREEN (or similar) sign facing oncoming traffic. When a flashing-green phase occurs after a normal green phase, it as known as an extended green, but this sequence is much less common, as it can create a hazardous yellow trap for oncoming left turns.

text: The advanced green was originally chosen to be represented by flashing green because at the time of its introduction, in Ontario, a green arrow had meant that all traffic *must turn* in the direction of the arrow,[4] although this is no longer the case. Additionally, an advanced green could be more easily added to existing 3-lamp signals than could a green arrow, since it didn't require physically installing a fourth lamp for the arrow.

text: In Regina, Saskatchewan left-turn signals are designated by two-bulb light configuration with one (or two) red balls and one LED arrow. When a left-turn cycle begins the red ball will change to a flashing green arrow to permitted all traffic turning left. When the left-turn cycle ends the flashing green arrow will turn to a solid amber arrow for 5 to 3 seconds then change back to a red ball.

text: Protected flashing green is now used in parts of California[5] and Ontario as part of traffic signal preemption for emergency vehicles. This does not conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

text: In Ireland and the UK, a right arrow may be displayed alongside a green light to indicate that oncoming traffic has been stopped and that it is safe to turn right.

text: In Japan, a green arrow with the circular green is never shown. Instead, green arrows must be shown with the circular red. This means a signal may display green arrows pointing in all possible directions with the circular red. Another unusual sequence is that the circular red changes to circular yellow whenever some or all of the arrows end, and then changes back to red after the clearance period.[6]

text: Indication of permissive turn[edit]

text: Flashing yellow arrow[edit]

text: A new configuration involving a flashing yellow arrow[7] has been introduced and is gaining acceptance across the US. This configuration prevents "yellow trap" when properly implemented. First observed in Oregon, but was started in Michigan and then spread elsewhere in the United States, like Fullerton, California;[8] Lawrence, Kansas; Tyler, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; across North Carolina and Poughkeepsie, New York; and New York City—the signals displaying a flashing yellow arrow are being phased in to replace the 5-lamp protected/permissive signals that are still in widespread use.

text: Four models of this signal exist. The one with 4 lamps is the most common. It has a steady red arrow, a steady yellow arrow, a flashing yellow arrow, and a steady green arrow. One rare version has five lenses, with a steady red arrow, two steady yellow arrows, a flashing yellow arrow, and a steady green arrow, and is only used sometimes, when there is a leading protected left turn. There are also two with 3 lamps. One signal has a steady red arrow, a steady yellow arrow, and a "dual indication" third lamp which can display either a steady green arrow or a flashing yellow arrow. The other 3-lamp signal has a steady red arrow, a steady yellow arrow and a flashing yellow arrow, with no green arrow; this can be used for either left or right turns, and is used to prevent yellow trap where no green arrow left turn phase exists on the approach. This cannot be done with the circular green without causing yellow trap, because a circular green releases other movements. The steady arrows all have their usual meanings. A flashing yellow arrow indicates a "permitted" left turn, where drivers may turn left without stopping (same as a Yield Sign), but opposing traffic has the right-of-way.  The flashing yellow arrow must always be followed by either a steady yellow arrow or a steady green arrow.

text: The purpose of these signals is to allow traffic signal controllers to safely select movements as needed to maximize traffic flows, and to prevent vehicles from stacking up in left turn pockets to the point that they block through lanes of traffic. It also gives traffic engineers more flexibility with the leading and lagging protected left turn phase configurations, allowing for better progression (coordination) between signals. This saves gasoline by stopping fewer vehicles. The flashing yellow arrow is also meant to prevent yellow trap, which occurs when the circular signal turns yellow, and then red, while oncoming traffic still has a circular green. This traps left turning cars in the intersection while oncoming traffic continues to flow. It can also fool drivers into mistakenly assuming that oncoming traffic also has a yellow light, so they turn across live traffic, causing an accident. When the opposing direction has both a circular green and a protected left turn green arrow, the flashing yellow or a flashing red arrow—signifying caution or stop before turning, respectively—can be used for turns across oncoming traffic, but a steady green arrow cannot be used because the turn is not protected. The yellow trap issue was originally addressed by the configuration known as Dallas phasing; however, engineers changed the configuration for two reasons: a flashing yellow arrow was less confusing than a louvered green ball, and problems might ensue if the left turn signal comes out of adjustment and its indications are visible to through traffic.

text: The flashing yellow arrow was introduced not because of a perceived lack of understanding of the circular green. For turning drivers, there is no perceptible difference between the flashing yellow arrow and the circular green, because both mean the same thing; however, the meaning of the flashing yellow arrow is different for drivers who are not making the indicated turn. To the driver turning left, the flashing yellow arrow means exactly the same as a Yield Sign, and a flashing red arrow means exactly the same as a Stop sign. Left turning drivers facing a flashing yellow arrow are allowed to make a left turn if there is a gap in oncoming traffic, however when facing a flashing red arrow drivers must come to a complete stop before making a left turn. (However, the MUTCD requires that a traffic study be performed before installing a flashing red arrow signal.) With the flashing yellow arrow or flashing red arrow, opposing straight-ahead traffic has a circular green at the same time. With the steady green arrow, opposing traffic must have a circular red.

text: The flashing yellow arrow has an important safety advantage because it can be shown while the through signals on the same approach are red. The circular green cannot do this because the circular green controls all vehicular movements, while the flashing yellow arrow only controls movement in the direction indicated. If oncoming traffic has a lagging protected left turn (with circular green and green left turn arrow indications), the flashing yellow arrow can continue to flash to drivers turning left across the oncoming traffic, even though the straight-ahead signals are red. This indication avoids the yellow trap problem.

text: The flashing yellow arrow is now a standard configuration for protected/permissive turn signals in the new US 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, released on December 16, 2009. Only three states are not using the flashing yellow arrows at all. In 2008, Maryland had planned to require that all new signals have flashing yellow arrows; however, their new state MUTCD prohibits the flashing yellow arrow in favor of the flashing red arrow Maryland has used for years.[9] The other states are Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Hawaii formerly did not have a flashing yellow arrow; however, its first installation in 2014.

text: NCHRP Report 493[10] and the associated Web-only document 123[11] shows how most subjects understood a flashing yellow arrow better than any other permissive left turn indication, and how left turn crashes were reduced after a circular green permissive left turn signal was changed to a flashing yellow arrow left turn signal. Another advantage of the flashing yellow or red arrow face is that its operation can be changed by time of day or traffic conditions between the following modes:

text:
Exclusively protected (turns on green arrow, but no permissive turn)
Protected/permissive after Yielding (turns on green arrow or flashing yellow arrow)
Protected/permissive after Stopping (turns on green arrow or flashing red arrow)
Exclusively permissive after Yielding (flashing yellow arrow, but no green arrow)
Exclusively permissive after Stopping (flashing red arrow, but no green arrow)
Prohibited (red arrow remains lit, to prevent traffic from turning across an approaching train)

text: The flashing yellow arrow is not allowed where left turns and other traffic share the same lane. The circular green is still allowed as a permissive left turn display, but has new restrictions:

text:
It may not be placed over or in front of the left turn lane in new installations.[12]
Any yellow trap caused by a circular green must be eliminated or warned with a sign.[13]
If one lane is shared by left turning and straight ahead traffic, the left turn movement (protected or permissive) and the straight ahead movement must begin together and must end together at the same time in the signal cycle. In this case, a green left turn arrow may not be shown with a circular red, and a red left turn arrow may not be shown with a circular green or a straight ahead green arrow.[14][15]

text: Dallas phasing[edit]

text: In the configuration commonly known as Dallas phasing that began in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, the five-light left turn signal head is used in a different manner than standard signals of this type. The left turn signal head operates independently from the signals for straight through traffic. This allows permissive turning even when straight through traffic is shown a red light, avoiding yellow trap. Louvers are fitted over the green and yellow balls of the left turn signal head to prevent driver confusion. The left turn signal head is also accompanied by a sign indicating its special use.[16]

text: In this configuration, the left-turn signal will display circular green from the leading protected left turn phase until the lagging permissive left turn phase, but the green arrow will only be displayed during the leading protected left-turn phase. During the lagging permissive left-turn phase, it is assumed that opposing traffic has both a permissive left turn phase and a straight-through green light. This can also be used in the opposite configuration, with leading permissive and lagging protected left-turn phases.[16]

text: Dallas phasing gives traffic engineers more flexibility with the leading and lagging protected left turn phase configurations allowing for better coordination between signals. There are also yellow and green arrows on Dallas phasing signals, permitting exclusive protected left-turn phases as well as protected/permissive left-turn phases.

text: The new 2009 Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices prohibits this display for new installations in favor of the flashing-yellow-arrow left-turn signal, which accommodates both permissive and protected left turns. Older installations are allowed to stay until they are replaced.[17]

text: Flashing red ball, yellow ball, or red arrow[edit]

text: Michigan uses a 3-lamp traffic signal, with a red ball, yellow arrow, and green arrow; during the permissive turn, the red ball flashes. At about 372 locations a flashing red ball signal on a "protected" left turn traffic signal indicates that left turning traffic may, after a full stop, complete their turn if and only if there is a long enough break in oncoming traffic. The flashing red usually occurs when the oncoming traffic has a green signal. This function is not enabled at intersections where it may not be safe to do so (restricted view of oncoming traffic, heavy pedestrian crossings, or double-lane left turns are good examples). Michigan usually indicates signals that are dedicated to turning traffic with a sign displaying "LEFT" or "RIGHT". This sign is normally illuminated at night. More recent installations in Michigan, however, have used flashing yellow arrow signal heads, which typically have not included left-turn signal signage. All flashing red ball signals in Michigan will gradually be phased out in favor of the flashing yellow arrow.[18][19] The flashing red ball was also used in Maryland.

text: Delaware and Maryland have also been known to place flashing red arrows at certain intersections, especially when no signal is needed for cross traffic. The driver is required to come to a complete stop before turning. This has been published in the 2009 MUTCD as an alternative to the flashing yellow arrow. However, this was allowed only when an engineering study determined that a "stop condition" must be imposed during the permissive left turn movement.[20] Cupertino, California, also used a 4-lamp signal, with a steady red arrow, a flashing red arrow, a steady yellow arrow, and a steady green arrow; during the permissive turn, the flashing red arrow is displayed.[21] These flashing red arrows were later replaced with flashing yellow arrows.

text: Washington state, particularly Seattle, used a flashing yellow ball in the left turn signal for the same purpose. Seattle also used a 4-lamp signal at about 20 locations, with a red ball, a steady yellow ball, a flashing yellow ball, and a dual-mode yellow and green arrow; during the permissive turn, the flashing yellow ball was displayed.[22]

text: No Turn Arrow[edit]

text: In Australia and New Zealand, an absent left or right turn arrow means traffic turning in the direction of the arrow may turn when the main light is green, provided they give way to pedestrians and other traffic.

text: In the state of Victoria, some intersections of this type employ a turn arrow without the red arrow. This would turn green with the main signal, before turning yellow, then off, giving priority to oncoming traffic. The nationwide standard seems to now include a red arrow that turns off. This arrow turns red simultaneously with the main light. After the cross traffic has had its turn, the arrows on opposite sides would both turn green, until one side runs out of right-turn traffic. In any case, when both sides of the intersection turn green, the corresponding arrow will turn off after a short delay, thus working similarly to the old Victorian standard. This method has the advantage of being controlled during peak-hours, where controllers would be able to prevent the arrow from turning off in extreme peak-hour traffic, but causes confusion as drivers expect a light to be on when three are present.

text: In New Zealand, where they drive on the left, when a road is given a green light from an all direction stop, a red arrow can continue to display to turning traffic, holding traffic back while the pedestrian crossing on the side road is given a green signal (for left turns) or while oncoming traffic goes straight ahead and there is no permissive right turn allowed (for right turns). As soon as the pedestrian signal changes to flashing red, the red arrow extinguishes. Traffic turning may now proceed provided they give way to oncoming traffic (for right turns) or pedestrians (for left turns). This method is becoming common in many states of Australia. When an intersection is given a protected turn prior to the pedestrian crossing on the side road given the green signal, the lights change to yellow and red, and then the red arrow disappears as soon as the pedestrian crossing is given a flashing red signal.

text: The 5-light protected permissive signals in the US are the same.

text: Yellow arrow and ball[edit]

text: Around Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, some left turn signals use a dual-indication LED lamp; these signals display a green arrow, a yellow arrow in addition to a yellow ball, and a red ball. A traffic signal on the intersection of the Westminster Highway and Knight Street does the same with dual-indication through and right turn arrows. All intersections with this picture are city operated.

text: Crosswalks[edit]

text: Flashing green light[edit]

text:
In British Columbia,[23] a flashing green globe signal is used at a pedestrian crossing or intersection, at which pedestrians have the ability to stop traffic to allow a safe crossing. They may also be used at a drawbridge. The flashing green indicates that the signal is not currently in use. After the pedestrian pushes the button to trigger the signal, the light becomes a steady green until the sequence of yellow, then red (at which time the pedestrian crossing gives a walk signal) as in a conventional set of traffic lights, then returns to flashing green until another crossing is requested.[24] This indication is also used in Massachusetts at fire stations.
In several European countries and Mexico, a flashing green light is used in crosswalks to indicate that signal is going to change from green to red soon. Therefore, flashing green has roughly the same meaning to pedestrians as ordinary yellow signal has for motorists. Slow-moving pedestrians are warned about oncoming signal change and have opportunity to wait for next signal cycle. Motorists are more likely to notice flashing signal. Drivers of vehicles about to cross pedestrian crossings should be more aware of incoming pedestrians.

text: Current users of flashing green signal are Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Mexico, Poland, Spain and Sweden. France, Portugal and Switzerland make limited use of flashing green.

text: Flashing red lights[edit]

text: In Australia, New Zealand, some SADC countries (such as South Africa), Canada and most of the United States, a flashing red or orange pedestrian signal is used at between green and steady red; it means "complete crossing but do not start to cross". This has a similar meaning to European flashing green, but means that if a pedestrian glances at it, they will not enter an intersection without enough time to leave. In the United States and in parts of Canada, Australia and New Zealand (e.g., Auckland CBD) pedestrian signals which count down the number of seconds (see Timers below) until cross traffic has the right of way are becoming popular at heavily used pedestrian crossings such as in urban shopping districts.

text: Red and yellow light[edit]

text: In Massachusetts only, simultaneous red and yellow lights in all directions allow a pedestrian to cross diagonally.[25] This replaces the extra "WALK"/"DON'T WALK" or white Ampelmanchen/hand signal, but is in violation of the MUTCD.[26] This practice is obsolescent but it remains in the Commonwealth's driver's manual.[25]

text: Other[edit]

text: Traffic lights for pedestrians are usually different; see pedestrian crossing. Traffic lights at level railroad crossings are again different. Both of these are to avoid confusion as to whom the signal applies.

text: Special signals[edit]

text: Transit priority signal[edit]

text: In Oregon, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Alberta, traffic signals may also have an extra white rectangular light mounted above the red light. This phase indicates that a public transit vehicle may proceed through an intersection in any direction while all other traffic faces a red light.

text: In some areas such as Boston, Massachusetts, a trolley may have its own traffic signals, indicating that it is okay for it to cross an intersection. These signals are all white, and the top section (stop) is a horizontal bar, the middle (caution) is an upright triangle, and the bottom (go) is a vertical bar.[27]

text: In Australia and New Zealand, buses and trams may have a white "B" and "T" light respectively to indicate they may proceed through the intersection in any direction. A white arrow indicates that they only may proceed in the arrow's direction, common for trams to indicate that they may proceed and the points are set for proceeding that direction. Transit signals may be accompanied by red and yellow B/T signals indicating to buses and trams stop and caution respectively.[28]

text: Singapore uses a similar "B" light for buses, but it is green.

text: In many parts of Western Europe transit signals (for trams, and in some cases buses as well) employ traffic signals that are phased similarly to main traffic signals but replace the green light with a vertical white bar, the red light with a horizontal white bar and the yellow with a white dot or diamond. This is intended to avoid confusion between transit signals and main traffic signals at intersections where both sets are visible.

text: Emergency priority signal[edit]

text: At many intersections in the United States, intersections use traffic signal preemption to give priority to emergency vehicles. These preemption applications often include an illuminated "notifier" signal. A notifier is a secondary lighting device usually mounted independently of the traffic signal, such as a standard or strobing light bulb in an omnidirectional enclosure or spotlights aimed at oncoming traffic lanes. The colors of these secondary lighting devices vary regionally depending upon the operational policies of the local traffic management and emergency service agencies.[29]

text: Reverse side red light indicator[edit]

text: Some jurisdictions use special small blue lights on the reverse of signal heads to indicate a red light lit on that head. They are used to communicate the presence of a red signal to police so they can view the situation without having to traverse the intersection.[30] Other jurisdictions simply drill a small hole in the red signal visor to allow police to see the status of the signal from a wide angle (but not directly opposite the signal). In France and, perhaps, Vietnam, the back of the red lights are sometimes designed with a red cross to indicate that the light is red.

text: Warnings that light will change[edit]

text: Change from green to yellow[edit]

text: In Austria, Cambodia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, most of Israel, Malaysia, parts of Mexico, Turkey, and in certain other parts of Europe, the green lights will start flashing at the end of the Go or Turn phase to indicate that the yellow (Caution phase) lights are about to be engaged. This is useful in fast-paced roads to allow for longer slowing down time, and for pedestrians crossing broad streets. Some traffic lights in Pennsylvania illuminate the yellow light a few seconds before the green light turns off, to give this same warning.

text: Note that the 2009 Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices prohibits any display that gives warning of an upcoming signal change, unless that display is placed well upstream of the signal (See "Warnings of traffic light ahead" below), so traffic at the stop line can not see it.

text: Change from yellow to red[edit]

text: At some intersections in Quebec, Canada, the yellow and red lights will appear together to indicate that the light is about to change to red. This mitigates the fact that at most Quebec intersections, there is no delay between the time that the lights in one direction turn red and the lights in the perpendicular direction turn green. However, this is considered redundant in other places, as the yellow light itself indicates that the light is about to change to red.

text: Change from red to green[edit]

text: In most European countries (including Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom), as well as in Argentina, Botswana, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, some places in Indonesia, Israel, Liberia, Macau, Pakistan, Paraguay, and South Africa, the red and yellow lights are displayed together for one, two, or three seconds at the end of the red cycle to indicate that the light is about to change to green. This phase aids the drivers of vehicles to turn on the engines again (there are requests/advice to turn off engine in front of red traffic lights in some countries, e.g. Switzerland), or drivers with manual gearboxes, giving them time to change into first gear during the short phase, as well as drivers of vehicles that may have been yellow-trapped whilst turning right a chance to clear the intersection in more safety. It also informs drivers who may be approaching the intersection at speed that a green light is imminent, so they may proceed through the junction without having to stop (or, with enough of a lead distance, even having to slow), reducing the potential annoyance (and safety risk) of braking sharply to a halt only to have the green light appear immediately after.

text: Warnings of traffic light ahead[edit]

text: Flashing yellow lights[edit]

text: In some areas, a "prepare to stop" sign with two alternately flashing yellow lights is installed in locations where a high-speed road (design speed usually at least 55 mph / 90 km/h) leads up to a traffic light, where the traffic light is obscured from a distance (or both conditions), or before the first traffic signal after a long stretch of road with no signals. This is installed so that drivers can view it from a distance. This light begins blinking with enough time for the driver to see it and slow down before the intersection light turns yellow, then red. The flashing yellow light can go out immediately when the light turns green, or it may continue for several seconds after the intersection light has turned green, as it usually takes a line of cars some time to accelerate to cruising speed from a red light. These are relatively common in areas such as the United States, Canada, Western Australia, New South Wales[31], New Zealand and Liberia. Japan uses a variant signal with two lamps, a green one and a flashing yellow one, for the same purpose.

text: Red signal ahead[edit]

text: A common way of warning that an obscured traffic light ahead is red is a red-signal-ahead sign. It is shaped like a standard yellow diamond shape sign with LEDs spelling out "Signal Ahead". Just before the traffic light goes yellow, the word "Red" will light up above Signal Ahead and they will begin to flash alternately.

text: Strobed red lights[edit]

text: In some parts of the United States, a few traffic lights have slowly flashing white strobe lights superimposed on the center of the red light, which are activated when the red light itself is illuminated. These are common on highways with few traffic signals, in high-traffic, and/or high-speed areas (where drivers running red lights are a major problem), in a place where a regular traveler wouldn't expect a signal (such as a newly erected signal or one put up for construction) in other situations where extra work may be needed to draw attention to the status of the light (such as in an area where many other red lights approximate the brightness, placement and color of a red traffic signal), or the strobe may also be a flash from a camera located within the traffic signal itself (there has been much dispute as to whether this is legal or not). These are also used in areas prone to fog, as the strobing white light may be visible from a distance while the standard red light is not. A newer variant uses a flashing white LED ring located on the outer edge of the red indication as opposed to in the center of the red. Typically one strobe equipped signal is mounted as a supplement between two normal signal heads. It is worthy of note that such strobe installations have been prohibited by the FHWA since 1990; however, individual states have been slow to conform. The current MUTCD (2009 edition) contains an explicit prohibition against their use; therefore, it is still FHWA's position that strobe lights are not allowed in traffic signals and no further experimentations with these types of strobe lights in traffic signals will be approved.[32][33][34]

text: Unusual traffic light designs[edit]

text: Double red lights[edit]

text: The Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island generally use horizontal traffic lights with red to the left and green to the right. These signals also use specific shapes for each color, which aids color-blind people in distinguishing signal aspects:

text:
green – an ordinary "ball" shape,
yellow – a diamond shape, and
red – a square (somewhat larger than the ball shape).

text: In Quebec, most horizontal traffic lights have a red signal on both sides of the fixture (left and right). They are also now replacing the shaped traffic lights for color-blind people with regular round signals.

text: Some signals have two red lights, one on each end.

text: In some Texas urban areas including Houston and Dallas, the use of a double red light is different. It is typically used on left turn signals. For horizontally mounted signals, typically hung or mounted over the lanes, it is configured with two red balls or arrows, one yellow arrow or ball, and a green arrow (from left to right). For vertically mounted signals, the two red balls or arrows are on the top, then a yellow arrow or ball, and a green arrow. It is usually accompanied by signs saying "left turn signal" or "left on arrow only". Signals for traffic going straight use standard signals, usually mounted horizontally over the road. The use of two red lights on the left turn signal allows for redundancy in case one of the red lights burns out, while saving money by requiring only one signal for left turns per direction that needs one. It also prevents the yellow trap that would occur at night if a single red signal burned out, and left-turning vehicles obeyed the circular signals instead.

text: One type of installation in Texas uses a double red light instead of a single red light to make the red light more pronounced and visible from a distance. In this installation, it is the first traffic light on a rural highway for miles, and traffic approaches at highway speed (65 mph). The double red light makes the red phase of the light visible at a greater distance than the yellow and green on the same signal. This installation is also used on rural highways in California, always in a vertical configuration, and in either configuration in some cities of Mexico such as Guadalajara.

text: The double-red light also makes an appearance in North Carolina in left-hand turn lanes. It serves the same purpose as the vertical Texan configuration, and mainly appears on boulevards with multiple lanes of traffic where a left turn may become catastrophic due to visibility. Double red arrows are used for left turn installations on some county-managed roads in Henrico County, Virginia and Baltimore County, Maryland.

text: The double-red ball aspect is used in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, to indicate a protected-prohibited left turn signal. A sign with the universal no left turn symbol and a depiction of the double red light is mounted near the signal to indicate that no left turns are permitted on a double-red light. Intersections with this configuration are quite common in Saskatoon, Calgary, and Edmonton. According to Transportation Alberta, there is no legal significance to a double red light. [35]

text: Traffic lights in Tianjin, China[edit]

text: Tianjin in the People's Republic of China has two very special systems of traffic lights, in use since c. 2000:

text: "Bar" lights[edit]

text: One system is where there is a horizontal bar in a specific colour, with the colour changing and the bar shrinking. The shrinking bar indicates the time remaining in that colour. The colour itself is either red (stop), yellow or green (go). A blinking green one-third-full bar means "reduce speed now", and a blinking yellow full-bar indicates "proceed with caution".

text: When lights of this system turn from green to red, the diminishing green bar will flash once two-thirds (note: not the full bar) of the green bar is "eaten up", with the remaining third intact. A full, uninterrupted yellow bar will appear for a few seconds before, after a short blink, lights turn red. Immediately after the full red bar appears, a tiny (almost unnoticeable) split/division appears to signify the bit that will not be "eaten up". This corresponds to the usual position of a red light (leftmost, or rightmost if at the other end of the road and at the other side of the pavement; or the upper third). When two-thirds of the red bit is "eaten up", the red light extinguishes, only to be replaced nearly immediately with a full chunk of green (again with the minute division). The process then repeats itself.

text: Arrow lights[edit]

text: Another system, which is also common in the other cities in China, is where there is a set of three lights as traffic lights. Every light is an arrow pointing in a different direction and every arrow has a colour of its own, to show whether traffic flow is permitted or prohibited in that direction.

text: The major disadvantage of this system of traffic light is that it is unfamiliar to those who are used to seeing specific colours of the traffic lights at the various ends of a normal traffic light itself (e.g. green rightmost, red leftmost, etc.) as well is being problematic for the color blind (although by Chinese traffic laws, people who are color blind are not permitted to drive). It does, however, conserve space. The other disadvantage of it is it does not have indication of when a turn can be made without yielding and when the turn can made only after yielding to the oncoming traffic. Although by Chinese traffic laws, turning is always supposed to be made after yielding to oncoming traffic.

text: Elsewhere in China, a blinking green light means "reduce speed now", attempting to stop cars from passing (if that car can still safely stop in time) and is nearly universal in appearance. Some cities or parts of cities show the number of seconds remaining in a specific traffic light colour (a so-called "countdown meter").

text: Another type of signal that can be found in China is the Unilight signal that displays all three colours in one signal section.

text: Unusual uses of traffic lights[edit]

text: Ramp metering[edit]

text: A ramp meter or metering light is a device, usually a basic traffic light or a two-phase (red and green, no yellow) light, that regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways according to current traffic conditions. They are intended to reduce congestion on the freeway in two ways. One is to ensure that the total flow entering the freeway does not exceed the capacity at a downstream bottleneck. A second is to break up platoons of vehicles entering freeways, ensuring that traffic can merge more easily. Some metered ramps have bypass lanes for high-occupancy vehicles, allowing car-poolers and buses to skip the queue and get directly on the highway. Meters often only operate in rush hour periods.

text: On some large toll bridges, such as the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, red/green traffic lights, similar to ramp meters, are used to stagger traffic leading into the bridge. In the Bay Bridge's case, approximately 25 lanes of toll booth traffic are reduced to five lanes of bridge traffic in about 1/2 mile. To accomplish this, an overhead red/green traffic light is visible above each lane, several hundred feet beyond the toll plaza. Green is illuminated for 2 seconds, signalling the first driver in that lane to begin acceleration. Then the signal jumps to red for eight seconds. Using this method, there are always five lanes with a "green" signal, staggered throughout the 25 lanes of traffic.

text: Timers[edit]

text: Traffic lights are sometimes accompanied by timers that indicate how much longer a certain phase will last. This is especially common for pedestrian crossing lights in high-traffic areas. Timers have been extensively used in India, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic but in Vietnam, they are rarely used for pedestrian.

text: In Canada and the United States, most pedestrian signals now have countdown timers in the flashing hand symbol/"Don't Walk" phase. All new installations of pedestrian signals in the United States must include a countdown timer, unless the countdown timer is less than seven seconds long, per the 2009 MUTCD. In New York City, however, this is not the case, as only streets that are wide enough will get countdown timers, regardless of the length of the countdown.[36] Countdown pedestrian signals are also used in London, United Kingdom.[37]

text: In some cities (such as Newberg, Oregon; Kiev, Ukraine; or Kraków, Poland) there are signs displaying how fast one has to drive in order to reach the next intersection at the exact time when the light turns green, thus allowing the driver to ease into a green wave.

text: Other[edit]

text: Other places where there may be traffic lights (normal or special ones):

text:
flashing signals used in conjunction with warning signs (such as dangerous curves, speed limit reductions, school zones, signal ahead, low clearance, flooding, icing, or fog) and regulatory controls (such as Stop and Yield signs).
on waterways with signs to implement special reduced speed "no wake" zones for watercraft.
at public boat ramps to warn drivers before accidentally driving into the water.
at the landing-stage of a ferry and aboard the ferry.
at the entrance and exit of a parking place or garage.
at the entrance and exit of some car washes, to indicate when the engine should be in gear and whether the brakes may be operated at a given time.
at drive through lanes such as those at banks.
at an international Port of Entry inspection station.
at highway inspection and/or weigh stations.
before a drawbridge.
before a narrowing of the road.
at a fire station or medical emergency entrance.
at a tunnel entrance.
in some HOV lanes.
to allow cattle to cross – as on the A470 in Wales or A65 in North Yorkshire, England.
at road construction sites to regulate temporary two-way traffic over a single open lane.
at airports to regulate aircraft taxiways.
adjacent to some airports where vehicular traffic on highways (crossing just past the end of a runway) must stop or yield during aircraft takeoffs and landings.
at the entrance to water slides where they are used as a safety feature to prevent people going down slides too soon after each other.
on automobile racing circuits to advise race drivers whether they can race or must slow or stop
at the end of a dead-end road to warn that the road ends, usually installed in locations where many accidents have occurred.
reversible 'one way' signs to indicate to occupiers of a traffic light controlled, narrow road which direction the traffic is currently expected in, such as the 2 in High Street Paulton, England


document_title: List of countries by GDP (nominal)

question_text: who has the most gdp in the world

question_tokens: who has the most gdp in the world

root

text: List of countries by GDP (nominal)

text: Lists

text:
Per the International Monetary Fund (2017)[1]

Per the World Bank (2017)[20]

Per the United Nations (2016)[21][22]

Rank
Country
GDP(US$MM)

 World[19]
79,865,481

1
 United States
19,390,600

—
 European Union[n 1][19]
17,308,862

2
 China[n 2]
12,014,610

3
 Japan
4,872,135

4
 Germany
3,684,816

5
 United Kingdom
2,624,529

6
 India
2,611,012

7
 France
2,583,560

8
 Brazil
2,054,969

9
 Italy
1,937,894

10
 Canada
1,652,412

11
 South Korea
1,538,030

12
 Russia[n 3]
1,527,469

13
 Australia
1,379,548

14
 Spain
1,313,951

15
 Mexico
1,149,236

16
 Indonesia
1,015,411

17
 Turkey
849,480

18
 Netherlands
825,745

19
 Saudi Arabia
683,827

20
  Switzerland
678,575

21
 Argentina
637,717

22
 Taiwan
579,302

23
 Sweden
538,575

24
 Poland
524,886

25
 Belgium
494,733

26
 Thailand
455,378

27
 Iran
431,920

28
 Austria
416,845

29
 Norway
396,457

30
 United Arab Emirates
377,435

31
 Nigeria
376,284

32
 Israel
350,609

33
 South Africa
349,299

34
 Hong Kong
341,659

35
 Ireland
333,994

36
 Denmark
324,484

37
 Singapore
323,902

38
 Malaysia
314,497

39
 Philippines
313,419

40
 Colombia
309,197

41
 Pakistan
303,993

42
 Chile
277,042

43
 Bangladesh
261,374

44
 Finland
253,244

45
 Egypt
237,073

46
 Vietnam
220,408

47
 Portugal
218,064

48
 Peru
215,224

49
 Czech Republic
213,189

50
 Romania
211,315

51
 Venezuela
210,085

52
 New Zealand
201,485

53
 Greece
200,690

54
 Iraq
197,699

55
 Algeria
178,287

56
 Qatar
166,326

57
 Kazakhstan
160,839

58
 Hungary
152,284

59
 Angola
124,209

60
 Kuwait
120,351

61
 Morocco
109,824

62
 Ukraine
109,321

63
 Ecuador
102,311

64
 Puerto Rico
98,805

65
 Slovakia
95,938

66
 Sri Lanka
87,591

67
 Ethiopia
80,874

68
 Kenya
79,511

—
 Syria[n 4]
77,460/Na

69
 Guatemala
75,661

70
 Dominican Republic
75,018

71
 Oman
74,274

72
 Myanmar
66,537

73
 Luxembourg
62,393

74
 Uruguay
58,415

75
 Panama
61,838

76
 Costa Rica
58,056

77
 Sudan
58,239

78
 Bulgaria
56,943

79
 Croatia
54,516

80
 Belarus
54,436

81
 Tanzania
51,725

82
 Lebanon
51,457

83
 Macau
49,802

84
 Slovenia
48,868

85
 Uzbekistan
47,883

86
 Lithuania
47,263

87
 Ghana
47,032

88
 Serbia
41,471

89
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
41,441

90
 Azerbaijan
40,670

91
 Jordan
40,487

92
 Côte d'Ivoire
40,360

93
 Tunisia
40,275

94
 Turkmenistan
37,926

95
 Bolivia
37,122

96
 Bahrain
34,895

97
 Cameroon
34,006

98
 Libya
31,331

99
 Latvia
30,319

100
 Paraguay
29,619

101
 El Salvador
28,023

102
 Uganda
26,349

103
 Estonia
25,973

104
 Zambia
25,504

105
   Nepal
24,472

106
 Iceland
23,909

107
 Papua New Guinea
23,617

108
 Honduras
22,975

109
 Cambodia
22,252

110
 Cyprus
21,310

111
 Afghanistan
20,889

112
 Trinidad and Tobago
20,300

113
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
17,457

114
 Laos
17,152

115
 Zimbabwe
17,105

116
 Botswana
16,725

117
 Yemen
16,511

118
 Senegal
16,057

119
 Georgia
15,230

120
 Mali
14,998

121
 Gabon
14,467

122
 Jamaica
14,290

123
 Nicaragua
13,692

124
 Burkina Faso
13,187

125
 Albania
13,001

126
 Namibia
12,558

127
 Mozambique
12,345

128
 Mauritius
12,273

129
 Malta
12,011

130
 Brunei
11,963

131
 Macedonia
11,416

132
 Armenia
11,037

133
 Mongolia
10,869

134
 Madagascar
10,557

135
 Equatorial Guinea
10,069

136
 Chad
9,740

137
 Benin
9,410

138
 Guinea
9,183

139
 Bahamas
9,127

140
 Rwanda
8,918

141
 Kosovo
8,883

142
 Haiti
8,360

143
 Moldova
7,945

144
 Niger
7,892

145
 Republic of Congo
7,799

146
 Tajikistan
7,234

147
 Kyrgyzstan
7,061

148
 Malawi
6,261

149
 Eritrea
6,050

150
 Fiji
5,054

151
 Mauritania
4,985

152
 Barbados
4,821

153
 Togo
4,797

154
 Maldives
4,520

155
 Montenegro
4,405

156
 Swaziland
4,030

157
 Sierra Leone
3,897

158
 Suriname
3,665

159
 Guyana
3,591

160
 Burundi
3,393

161
 South Sudan
2,870

162
 Lesotho
2,721

163
 Timor-Leste
2,716

164
 Bhutan
2,321

165
 Liberia
2,140

166
 Djibouti
2,082

167
 Central African Republic
1,992

168
 Belize
1,819

169
 Cape Verde
1,728

170
 St. Lucia
1,717

171
 San Marino
1,592

172
 Antigua and Barbuda
1,535

173
 Seychelles
1,479

174
 Guinea-Bissau
1,295

175
 Solomon Islands
1,273

176
 Grenada
1,111

177
 The Gambia
1,038

178
 St. Kitts and Nevis
939

179
 Samoa
844

180
 Vanuatu
837

181
 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
815

182
 Comoros
659

183
 Dominica
608

184
 Tonga
437

185
 São Tomé and Príncipe
372

186
 Federated States of Micronesia
329

187
 Palau
321

188
 Marshall Islands
199

189
 Kiribati
186

190
 Tuvalu
40

Rank
Country
GDP(US$MM)

 World
7007806837870000000♠80,683,787

1
 United States
7007193906040000000♠19,390,604

—
 European Union[23]
7007172776980000000♠17,277,698

2
 China[n 5]
7007122377000000000♠12,237,700

3
 Japan
7006487213700000000♠4,872,137

4
 Germany
7006367743900000000♠3,677,439

5
 United Kingdom
7006262243400000000♠2,622,434

6
 India
7006259749100000000♠2,597,491

7
 France
7006258250100000000♠2,582,501

8
 Brazil
7006205550600000000♠2,055,506

9
 Italy
7006193479800000000♠1,934,798

10
 Canada
7006165304300000000♠1,653,043

11
 Russia[n 3]
7006157752400000000♠1,577,524

12
 South Korea
7006153075100000000♠1,530,751

13
 Australia
7006132342100000000♠1,323,421

14
 Spain
7006131132000000000♠1,311,320

15
 Mexico
7006114991900000000♠1,149,919

16
 Indonesia
7006101553900000000♠1,015,539

17
 Turkey
7005851102000000000♠851,102

18
 Netherlands
7005826200000000000♠826,200

19
 Saudi Arabia
7005683827000000000♠683,827

20
  Switzerland
7005678887000000000♠678,887

21
 Argentina
7005637590000000000♠637,590

22
 Sweden
7005538040000000000♠538,040

23
 Poland
7005524510000000000♠524,510

24
 Belgium
7005492681000000000♠492,681

25
 Thailand
7005455221000000000♠455,221

26
 Iran
7005439514000000000♠439,514

27
 Austria
7005416596000000000♠416,596

28
 Norway
7005398832000000000♠398,832

29
 United Arab Emirates
7005382575000000000♠382,575

30
 Nigeria
7005375771000000000♠375,771

31
 Israel
7005350851000000000♠350,851

32
 South Africa
7005349419000000000♠349,419

33
 Hong Kong
7005341449000000000♠341,449

34
 Ireland
7005333731000000000♠333,731

35
 Denmark
7005324872000000000♠324,872

36
 Singapore
7005323907000000000♠323,907

37
 Malaysia
7005314500000000000♠314,500

38
 Philippines
7005313595000000000♠313,595

39
 Colombia
7005309191000000000♠309,191

40
 Pakistan
7005304952000000000♠304,952

41
 Chile
7005277076000000000♠277,076

42
 Finland
7005251885000000000♠251,885

43
 Bangladesh
7005249724000000000♠249,724

44
 Egypt
7005235369000000000♠235,369

45
 Vietnam
7005223864000000000♠223,864

46
 Portugal
7005217571000000000♠217,571

47
 Czech Republic
7005215726000000000♠215,726

48
 Romania
7005211803000000000♠211,803

49
 Peru
7005211389000000000♠211,389

50
 New Zealand
7005205853000000000♠205,853

51
 Greece
7005200288000000000♠200,288

52
 Iraq
7005197716000000000♠197,716

53
 Algeria
7005170371000000000♠170,371

54
 Qatar
7005167605000000000♠167,605

55
 Kazakhstan
7005159407000000000♠159,407

56
 Hungary
7005139135000000000♠139,135

57
 Angola
7005124209000000000♠124,209

58
 Kuwait
7005120126000000000♠120,126

59
 Sudan
7005117488000000000♠117,488

60
 Ukraine
7005112154000000000♠112,154

61
 Morocco[n 6]
7005109139000000000♠109,139

62
 Ecuador
7005103057000000000♠103,057

63
 Slovak Republic
7004957690000000000♠95,769

64
 Sri Lanka
7004871750000000000♠87,175

65
 Ethiopia
7004805610000000000♠80,561

66
 Dominican Republic
7004759320000000000♠75,932

67
 Guatemala
7004756200000000000♠75,620

68
 Kenya
7004749380000000000♠74,938

69
 Oman
7004726430000000000♠72,643

70
 Myanmar
7004693220000000000♠69,322

71
 Luxembourg
7004624040000000000♠62,404

72
 Panama
7004618380000000000♠61,838

73
 Costa Rica
7004570570000000000♠57,057

74
 Bulgaria
7004568320000000000♠56,832

75
 Uruguay
7004561570000000000♠56,157

76
 Croatia
7004548490000000000♠54,849

77
 Belarus
7004544420000000000♠54,442

78
 Tanzania[n 7]
7004520900000000000♠52,090

79
 Lebanon
7004518440000000000♠51,844

80
 Libya
7004509840000000000♠50,984

81
 Macau
7004503610000000000♠50,361

82
 Slovenia
7004487700000000000♠48,770

83
 Uzbekistan
7004487180000000000♠48,718

84
 Ghana
7004473300000000000♠47,330

85
 Lithuania
7004471680000000000♠47,168

86
 Turkmenistan
7004423550000000000♠42,355

87
 Serbia
7004414320000000000♠41,432

88
 Azerbaijan
7004407480000000000♠40,748

89
 Cote d'Ivoire
7004403890000000000♠40,389

90
 Tunisia
7004402570000000000♠40,257

91
 Jordan
7004400680000000000♠40,068

92
 Bolivia
7004375090000000000♠37,509

93
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
7004372410000000000♠37,241

94
 Bahrain
7004353070000000000♠35,307

95
 Cameroon
7004347990000000000♠34,799

96
 Latvia
7004302640000000000♠30,264

97
 Paraguay
7004297350000000000♠29,735

98
 Estonia
7004259210000000000♠25,921

99
 Uganda
7004258910000000000♠25,891

100
 Zambia
7004258090000000000♠25,809

101
 El Salvador
7004248050000000000♠24,805

102
   Nepal
7004244720000000000♠24,472

103
 Iceland
7004239090000000000♠23,909

104
 Honduras
7004229790000000000♠22,979

105
 Cambodia
7004221580000000000♠22,158

106
 Trinidad and Tobago
7004221050000000000♠22,105

107
 Cyprus[n 8]
7004216520000000000♠21,652

108
 Papua New Guinea
7004210890000000000♠21,089

109
 Afghanistan
7004208150000000000♠20,815

110
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
7004181690000000000♠18,169

111
 Zimbabwe
7004178460000000000♠17,846

112
 Botswana
7004174070000000000♠17,407

113
 Laos
7004168530000000000♠16,853

114
 Senegal
7004163750000000000♠16,375

115
 Mali
7004152880000000000♠15,288

116
 Georgia[n 9]
7004151590000000000♠15,159

117
 Jamaica
7004147680000000000♠14,768

118
 Gabon
7004146230000000000♠14,623

119
 West Bank and Gaza
7004144980000000000♠14,498

120
 Nicaragua
7004138140000000000♠13,814

121
 Mauritius
7004133380000000000♠13,338

122
 Namibia
7004132450000000000♠13,245

123
 Albania
7004130390000000000♠13,039

124
 Burkina Faso
7004128730000000000♠12,873

125
 Malta
7004125380000000000♠12,538

126
 Equatorial Guinea
7004124870000000000♠12,487

127
 Mozambique
7004123340000000000♠12,334

128
 The Bahamas
7004121620000000000♠12,162

129
 Brunei Darussalam
7004121280000000000♠12,128

130
 Armenia
7004115370000000000♠11,537

131
 Madagascar
7004115000000000000♠11,500

132
 Mongolia
7004114880000000000♠11,488

133
 Macedonia
7004113380000000000♠11,338

134
 Guinea
7004104910000000000♠10,491

135
 Chad
7003998100000000000♠9,981

136
 Benin
7003927400000000000♠9,274

137
 Rwanda
7003913700000000000♠9,137

138
 Republic of the Congo
7003872300000000000♠8,723

139
 Haiti
7003840800000000000♠8,408

140
 Moldova[n 10]
7003812800000000000♠8,128

141
 Niger
7003812000000000000♠8,120

142
 Kyrgyzstan
7003756500000000000♠7,565

143
 Somalia
7003736900000000000♠7,369

144
 Tajikistan
7003714600000000000♠7,146

145
 Kosovo
7003712900000000000♠7,129

146
 Malawi
7003630300000000000♠6,303

147
 Fiji
7003506100000000000♠5,061

148
 Mauritania
7003502500000000000♠5,025

149
 Togo
7003481300000000000♠4,813

150
 Barbados
7003479700000000000♠4,797

151
 Montenegro
7003477400000000000♠4,774

152
 Maldives
7003459700000000000♠4,597

153
 Swaziland
7003440900000000000♠4,409

154
 Sierra Leone
7003377400000000000♠3,774

155
 Guyana
7003367600000000000♠3,676

156
 Burundi
7003347800000000000♠3,478

157
 Suriname
7003332400000000000♠3,324

158
 Andorra
7003301300000000000♠3,013

159
 Timor-Leste
7003295500000000000♠2,955

160
 Lesotho
7003263900000000000♠2,639

161
 Bhutan
7003251200000000000♠2,512

162
 Liberia
7003215800000000000♠2,158

163
 Central African Republic
7003194900000000000♠1,949

164
 Djibouti
7003184500000000000♠1,845

165
 Belize
7003183800000000000♠1,838

166
 Cabo Verde
7003175400000000000♠1,754

167
 Saint Lucia
7003171200000000000♠1,712

168
 San Marino
7003165900000000000♠1,659

169
 Antigua and Barbuda
7003153200000000000♠1,532

170
 Seychelles
7003148600000000000♠1,486

171
 Guinea-Bissau
7003134700000000000♠1,347

172
 Solomon Islands
7003130300000000000♠1,303

173
 Grenada
7003111900000000000♠1,119

174
 The Gambia
7003101500000000000♠1,015

175
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
7002946000000000000♠946

176
 Vanuatu
7002863000000000000♠863

177
 Samoa
7002857000000000000♠857

178
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
7002790000000000000♠790

179
 Comoros
7002649000000000000♠649

180
 Dominica
7002563000000000000♠563

181
 Tonga
7002426000000000000♠426

182
 Sao Tome and Principe
7002391000000000000♠391

183
 Federated States of Micronesia
7002336000000000000♠336

184
 Palau
7002292000000000000♠292

185
 Marshall Islands
7002199000000000000♠199

186
 Kiribati
7002196000000000000♠196

187
 Nauru
7002114000000000000♠114

188
 Tuvalu
7001400000000000000♠40

Rank
Country
GDP(US$MM)

 World[24]
7007756484480000000♠75,648,448

1
 United States
7007186244750000000♠18,624,475

2
 China[n 5]
7007112182810000000♠11,218,281

3
 Japan
7006493621100000000♠4,936,211

4
 Germany
7006347779600000000♠3,477,796

5
 United Kingdom
7006264789800000000♠2,647,898

6
 France
7006246545300000000♠2,465,453

7
 India
7006225964200000000♠2,259,642

8
 Italy
7006185891300000000♠1,858,913

9
 Brazil
7006179592500000000♠1,795,925

10
 Canada
7006152976000000000♠1,529,760

11
 South Korea
7006141124500000000♠1,411,245

12
 Australia
7006130446300000000♠1,304,463

13
 Russia[n 3]
7006124601500000000♠1,246,015

14
 Spain
7006123725500000000♠1,237,255

15
 Mexico
7006107691400000000♠1,076,914

16
 Indonesia
7005932259000000000♠932,259

17
 Turkey
7005863711000000000♠863,711

18
 Netherlands
7005777227000000000♠777,227

19
  Switzerland
7005668851000000000♠668,851

20
 Saudi Arabia
7005639617000000000♠639,617

21
 Argentina
7005545866000000000♠545,866

22
 Sweden
7005514475000000000♠514,475

23
 Poland
7005471402000000000♠471,402

24
 Belgium
7005467955000000000♠467,955

25
 Iran
7005425402000000000♠425,402

26
 Thailand
7005407026000000000♠407,026

27
 Nigeria
7005404649000000000♠404,649

28
 Austria
7005390799000000000♠390,799

29
 Norway
7005371068000000000♠371,068

30
 United Arab Emirates
7005399451000000000♠399,451

31
 Colombia
7005377740000000000♠377,740

32
 South Africa
7005349819000000000♠349,819

33
 Denmark
7005346119000000000♠346,119

34
 Malaysia
7005326933000000000♠326,933

35
 Singapore
7005307872000000000♠307,872

36
 Israel
7005305673000000000♠305,673

37
 Venezuela
7005291376000000000♠291,376

38
 Philippines
7005290896000000000♠290,896

39
 Egypt
7005282242000000000♠282,242

40
 Hong Kong
7005274027000000000♠274,027

41
 Finland
7005272217000000000♠272,217

42
 Chile
7005258062000000000♠258,062

43
 Pakistan
7005251255000000000♠251,255

44
 Ireland
7005250814000000000♠250,814

45
 Greece
7005235574000000000♠235,574

46
 Portugal
7005230117000000000♠230,117

47
 Iraq
7005225422000000000♠225,422

48
 Kazakhstan
7005216036000000000♠216,036

49
 Algeria
7005213518000000000♠213,518

50
 Qatar
7005211817000000000♠211,817

51
 Czech Republic
7005205270000000000♠205,270

52
 Peru
7005201809000000000♠201,809

53
 Romania
7005199045000000000♠199,045

54
 New Zealand
7005198652000000000♠198,652

55
 Vietnam
7005186205000000000♠186,205

56
 Bangladesh
7005173062000000000♠173,062

57
 Kuwait
7005163637000000000♠163,637

58
 Angola
7005146676000000000♠146,676

59
 Hungary
7005138347000000000♠138,347

60
 Ukraine
7005131806000000000♠131,806

61
 Morocco
7005110009000000000♠110,009

62
 Puerto Rico
7005103676000000000♠103,676

63
 Ecuador
7005100917000000000♠100,917

64
 Slovakia
7005100249000000000♠100,249

65
 Cuba
7004896890000000000♠89,689

66
 Sudan
7004818940000000000♠81,894

67
 Oman
7004817970000000000♠81,797

68
 Belarus
7004761390000000000♠76,139

69
 Azerbaijan
7004751930000000000♠75,193

70
 Sri Lanka
7004749410000000000♠74,941

71
 Myanmar
7004664780000000000♠66,478

72
 Luxembourg
7004648740000000000♠64,874

73
 Dominican Republic
7004639690000000000♠63,969

74
 Uzbekistan
7004630300000000000♠63,030

75
 Kenya
7004609360000000000♠60,936

76
 Guatemala
7004588270000000000♠58,827

77
 Uruguay
7004574710000000000♠57,471

78
 Croatia
7004571370000000000♠57,137

79
 Bulgaria
7004567180000000000♠56,718

80
 Macau
7004555020000000000♠55,502

81
 Ethiopia
7004536380000000000♠53,638

82
 Lebanon
7004496310000000000♠49,631

83
 Costa Rica
7004495530000000000♠49,553

84
 Slovenia
7004494910000000000♠49,491

85
 Panama
7004491660000000000♠49,166

86
 Lithuania
7004483920000000000♠48,392

87
 Tanzania
7004480300000000000♠48,030

88
 Turkmenistan
7004479320000000000♠47,932

89
 Tunisia
7004474230000000000♠47,423

90
 Serbia
7004438660000000000♠43,866

91
 Libya
7004413190000000000♠41,319

92
 Ghana
7004371770000000000♠37,177

93
 Yemen
7004371310000000000♠37,131

94
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
7004359090000000000♠35,909

95
 Jordan
7004358270000000000♠35,827

96
 Côte d'Ivoire
7004342540000000000♠34,254

97
 Bahrain
7004338500000000000♠33,850

98
 Bolivia
7004329960000000000♠32,996

99
 Cameroon
7004320510000000000♠32,051

100
 Latvia
7004312860000000000♠31,286

101
 Paraguay
7004309850000000000♠30,985

102
 Trinidad and Tobago
7004280690000000000♠28,069

103
 Uganda
7004274650000000000♠27,465

104
 Zambia
7004269630000000000♠26,963

105
 Estonia
7004264850000000000♠26,485

106
 El Salvador
7004251640000000000♠25,164

107
 Cyprus
7004230770000000000♠23,077

108
 Afghanistan
7004211220000000000♠21,122

109
 Honduras
7004194970000000000♠19,497

110
   Nepal
7004194890000000000♠19,489

111
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
7004184910000000000♠18,491

112
 Gabon
7004174120000000000♠17,412

113
 North Korea
7004173960000000000♠17,396

114
 Brunei
7004171040000000000♠17,104

115
 Mozambique
7004170810000000000♠17,081

116
 Iceland
7004170360000000000♠17,036

117
 Cambodia
7004167780000000000♠16,778

118
 Equatorial Guinea
7004167310000000000♠16,731

119
 Papua New Guinea
7004165760000000000♠16,576

120
 Georgia
7004165300000000000♠16,530

121
 Botswana
7004158130000000000♠15,813

122
 Senegal
7004156580000000000♠15,658

123
 Zimbabwe
7004147190000000000♠14,719

124
 Congo, Republic of the
7004140770000000000♠14,077

125
 Jamaica
7004139270000000000♠13,927

126
 Namibia
7004134290000000000♠13,429

127
 Albania
7004134130000000000♠13,413

128
 Chad
7004127910000000000♠12,791

129
 State of Palestine
7004127660000000000♠12,766

130
 Burkina Faso
7004127560000000000♠12,756

131
 Mauritius
7004126160000000000♠12,616

132
 Mongolia
7004120670000000000♠12,067

133
 Mali
7004119790000000000♠11,979

134
 Nicaragua
7004118060000000000♠11,806

135
 Laos
7004117490000000000♠11,749

136
 Macedonia
7004113190000000000♠11,319

137
 South Sudan
7004110070000000000♠11,007

138
 Armenia
7004108890000000000♠10,889

139
 Madagascar
7004106740000000000♠10,674

140
 Malta
7004105360000000000♠10,536

141
 New Caledonia
7004102340000000000♠10,234

142
 Benin
7003957500000000000♠9,575

143
 Tajikistan
7003924200000000000♠9,242

144
 Haiti
7003859900000000000♠8,599

145
 The Bahamas
7003851000000000000♠8,510

146
 Niger
7003816900000000000♠8,169

147
 Moldova
7003794400000000000♠7,944

148
 Rwanda
7003790300000000000♠7,903

149
 Kyrgyzstan
7003740400000000000♠7,404

150
 Kosovo
7003738700000000000♠7,387

151
 Monaco
7003706000000000000♠7,060

152
 Guinea
7003657900000000000♠6,579

153
 Liechtenstein
7003585500000000000♠5,855

154
 Malawi
7003572000000000000♠5,720

155
 French Polynesia
7003562300000000000♠5,623

156
 Bermuda
7003560100000000000♠5,601

157
 Suriname
7003521000000000000♠5,210

158
 Mauritania
7003509200000000000♠5,092

159
 Timor-Leste
7003497000000000000♠4,970

160
 Sierra Leone
7003489300000000000♠4,893

161
 Montenegro
7003458800000000000♠4,588

162
 Togo
7003457600000000000♠4,576

163
 Fiji
7003453200000000000♠4,532

164
 Swaziland
7003448200000000000♠4,482

165
 Barbados
7003435300000000000♠4,353

166
 Eritrea
7003385800000000000♠3,858

167
 Cayman Islands
7003348000000000000♠3,480

168
 Andorra
7003327800000000000♠3,278

169
 Curaçao
7003315900000000000♠3,159

170
 Guyana
7003308600000000000♠3,086

171
 Maldives
7003303200000000000♠3,032

172
 Burundi
7003286900000000000♠2,869

173
 Aruba
7003266400000000000♠2,664

174
 Greenland
7003244100000000000♠2,441

175
 Liberia
7003212200000000000♠2,122

176
 Lesotho
7003208100000000000♠2,081

177
 Bhutan
7003196500000000000♠1,965

178
 Cape Verde
7003185500000000000♠1,855

179
 San Marino
7003184500000000000♠1,845

180
 Central African Republic
7003183800000000000♠1,838

181
 Belize
7003169900000000000♠1,699

182
 Djibouti
7003158900000000000♠1,589

183
 Seychelles
7003151100000000000♠1,511

184
 Saint Lucia
7003140600000000000♠1,406

185
 Somalia
7003137500000000000♠1,375

186
 Zanzibar
7003128900000000000♠1,289

187
 Antigua and Barbuda
7003124800000000000♠1,248

188
 Guinea-Bissau
7003120900000000000♠1,209

189
 Solomon Islands
7003110300000000000♠1,103

190
 Sint Maarten
7003105900000000000♠1,059

191
 British Virgin Islands
7002902000000000000♠902

192
 Grenada
7002884000000000000♠884

193
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
7002852000000000000♠852

194
 The Gambia
7002851000000000000♠851

195
 Samoa
7002824000000000000♠824

196
 Vanuatu
7002812000000000000♠812

197
 Turks and Caicos Islands
7002797000000000000♠797

198
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
7002729000000000000♠729

199
 Comoros
7002648000000000000♠648

200
 Dominica
7002533000000000000♠533

201
 Tonga
7002435000000000000♠435

202
 São Tomé and Príncipe
7002337000000000000♠337

203
 Federated States of Micronesia
7002308000000000000♠308

204
 Cook Islands
7002311000000000000♠311

205
 Anguilla
7002311000000000000♠311

206
 Palau
7002234000000000000♠234

207
 Marshall Islands
7002209000000000000♠209

208
 Nauru
7002182000000000000♠182

209
 Kiribati
7002180000000000000♠180

210
 Montserrat
7001630000000000000♠63

211
 Tuvalu
7001380000000000000♠38

tag: table


document_title: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

question_text: who played sylvester in it's a mad mad mad mad world

question_tokens: who played sylvester in it 's a mad mad mad mad world

text: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

text: Plot[edit]

text: "Smiler" Grogan (Jimmy Durante), an ex-convict wanted by police in a tuna factory robbery fifteen years ago and currently on the run, careens his car off twisting, mountainous State Highway 74 near Palm Desert, California and crashes. Five motorists stop to help him: Melville Crump (Sid Caesar), a dentist; Lennie Pike (Jonathan Winters), a furniture mover; Dingy Bell (Mickey Rooney) and Benjy Benjamin (Buddy Hackett), two friends on their way to Las Vegas; and J. Russell Finch (Milton Berle), an entrepreneur who owns Pacific Edible Seaweed Company in Fresno. Just before he dies (literally kicking a bucket), Grogan tells the five men about $350,000 buried in Santa Rosita State Park near the Mexican border under "… a big W".

tag: p

text: Initially, the motorists try to reason with one another to share the money, but it soon becomes an all-out race to get the money first. Unbeknownst to them all, Captain T.G. Culpeper (Spencer Tracy), Chief of Detectives of the Santa Rosita Police Department, has been patiently working on the Smiler Grogan case for years, hoping to someday solve it and retire. When he learns of the fatal crash, he suspects that Grogan may have tipped off the passersby, so he has them tracked by various police units. His suspicions are confirmed by their behavior.

text: Everyone experiences multiple setbacks on their way to the money. Crump and his wife Monica (Edie Adams) charter an old WWI-era biplane and eventually make it to Santa Rosita, but are soon unknowingly locked in the basement of a hardware store by its owner (Edward Everett Horton). They eventually free themselves with dynamite.

text: Bell and Benjamin charter a modern plane at an aviation club, but when their wealthy alcoholic pilot (Jim Backus) knocks himself out drunk, the two are forced to fly and land the plane themselves.

text: Finch, his wife Emmeline (Dorothy Provine), and his loud and obnoxious mother-in-law, Mrs. Marcus (Ethel Merman), are involved in a car accident with Pike's furniture van. The three flag down British Army Officer Lt. Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne (Terry-Thomas) in his car and convince him to drive them to Santa Rosita.  After many arguments, most caused by Mrs. Marcus, she and Emmeline refuse to go any farther, and Finch and Hawthorne leave them by the side of the road in Yucca Valley.

text: Pike tries to get motorist Otto Meyer (Phil Silvers) to take him to Santa Rosita, but the greedy Meyer betrays him and races for the money on his own, leaving Pike stranded with only a little girl's bike from his furniture van. An enraged Pike catches up with Meyer at a gas station and assaults him as the gas station owners (Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan) try to stop him. Meyer escapes in his car while Pike literally destroys the gas station. He then steals the station's tow truck and takes off after Meyer. Pike meets up with Mrs. Marcus and Emmeline and picks them up. While in a town called Plaster City, Mrs. Marcus calls her devoted and powerfully built, but impulsive and dim-witted, son Sylvester (Dick Shawn), who lives on Silver Strand Beach near Santa Rosita, to get the money for them, but misunderstanding and believing his mother is in trouble, he instead races to her in his car.

text: Meyer experiences his own setbacks, including sinking his car while trying to cross the Kern River and nearly drowning. He manages to steal a car belonging to a passing motorist (Don Knotts) by telling him he's with the CIA and re-joins the hunt.  All the while, Culpeper and the police department observe their activities from afar. Around this time, two taxi drivers (Peter Falk and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson) get in on the chase in their Yellow Cabs.

text: Eventually all of the characters arrive at Santa Rosita State Park at about the same time and search for the big W. Culpeper orders all policemen to leave the area and goes in solo to retrieve the money.  Emmeline, who wants no part of the money and doesn't take part in the search, is the first one to spot the big W, composed of four palm trees growing in the shape of the letter "W".  Pike finds it next and informs everyone else.  After everyone digs up the money, Culpeper identifies himself and talks them into turning themselves in, promising a jury will be more lenient if they do.

text: However, presumably disillusioned by the greed and reckless behavior of so many supposedly law-abiding people during the course of the day, Culpeper now plans to take the money for himself and leave for Mexico to escape his own dysfunctional family and an apparently unappreciated career as an honest cop with a very small pension.  The group sees Culpeper fleeing with the money, realize what's happening and give chase in the two cabs.  When the chase becomes a foot pursuit, Chief Aloysius (William Demarest), who had (unbeknownst to Culpeper) blackmailed the mayor (Lloyd Corrigan) to triple Culpeper's pension, reluctantly tears up the pension papers and orders Culpeper's arrest.

text: After a long chase sequence, all eleven men end up stranded on the fire escape of a condemned office building.  The suitcase of money opens, and the money falls into the streets below, where passersby near the building scoop it up.  The men all try to climb down a fire truck's extension ladder, even though the fireman (Sterling Holloway) tells them "one at a time".  Their combined weight causes the firemen to lose control of the ladder, whereupon it swings around wildly and flings them into various locations, causing many injuries and landing all of the men in the prison hospital wing.

text: The group, in various stages of traction, criticizes Culpeper for taking the money, and he replies that his life has become even worse than before due to his attempted theft and it's likely the other men will get off easy. Mrs. Marcus, flanked by Emmeline and Monica, enters, begins to berate everyone, and promptly slips on a banana peel. All men, except Sylvester, start laughing hysterically.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Principal cast[edit]

text:
Spencer Tracy as Captain T.G. Culpeper
Edie Adams as Monica Crump
Milton Berle as J. Russell Finch
Sid Caesar as Melville Crump
Buddy Hackett as "Benjy" Benjamin
Ethel Merman as Mrs. Marcus

Dorothy Provine as Emmeline Marcus-Finch
Mickey Rooney as Ding Bell
Dick Shawn as Sylvester Marcus
Phil Silvers as Otto Meyer
Terry-Thomas as Lt. Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne
Jonathan Winters as Lennie Pike

text: Supporting cast[edit]

text:
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as a cab driver
Jim Backus as airplane owner Tyler Fitzgerald
William Demarest as Aloysius, Chief of the Santa Rosita Police Department

Jimmy Durante as "Smiler" Grogan, the robber who buried the money.
Peter Falk as a cab driver
Paul Ford as Col. Wilberforce

text: Cameo appearances[edit]

text:
Jack Benny as man driving a 1931 Cadillac Fleetwood (uncredited)
Paul Birch as a Santa Rosita police officer at the intersection (with binoculars) (uncredited)
Ben Blue as the vintage biplane pilot
Joe E. Brown as the union official giving a speech at a construction site
Alan Carney as a sergeant with the Santa Rosita Police Department
Chick Chandler as the policeman at Ray and Irwin's service station
Barrie Chase as the dancing, bikini-clad paramour (restored footage revealed her character was in reality married) of Sylvester Marcus
John Clarke as a helicopter pilot[6]
Stanley Clements as a local reporter at police station (uncredited)
Lloyd Corrigan as the mayor of Santa Rosita
Howard Da Silva as police officer at airport (uncredited)
Andy Devine as the sheriff of Crockett County, California
Selma Diamond as Ginger Culpeper, Captain Culpeper's wife (voice only)
Minta Durfee as a crowd extra watching the fire escape rescue (uncredited)
Roy Engel as a Santa Rosita Police Department officer at the intersection (uncredited)
Norman Fell as primary detective at the "Smiler" Grogan accident site
James Flavin as a crossroads patrolman (scene deleted from general release version, uncredited)
Stan Freberg as a deputy sheriff of Crockett County
Nicholas Georgiade as supporting detective at the "Smiler" Grogan accident site (uncredited)
Louise Glenn as Billie Sue Culpeper, the daughter of Captain Culpeper (voice only)
Leo Gorcey as the cab driver bringing Melville and Monica to the hardware store
Stacy Harris as police radio voice unit F-7 (voice only), and as a detective outside of Mr. Dinkler's hardware store (uncredited)
Don C. Harvey as a Santa Rosita Police Department officer (uncredited)
Sterling Holloway as the Santa Rosita Fire Department fireman
Edward Everett Horton as Mr. Dinkler, owner of the hardware store
Allen Jenkins as a policeman (uncredited)
Marvin Kaplan as service station co-owner Irwin
Robert Karnes as Sammy, a Crockett County deputy following the ambulance (uncredited)
Buster Keaton as Jimmy, Culpeper's boatman friend
Tom Kennedy as a Santa Rosita traffic cop (uncredited)
Don Knotts as the nervous motorist
Charles Lane as the airport manager
Harry Lauter as a Santa Rosita Police Department police dispatcher (uncredited)
Ben Lessy as George the steward (uncredited)
Bobo Lewis as vintage biplane pilot's wife (uncredited)
Jerry Lewis as the motorist who runs over Culpeper's hat (uncredited)
Mike Mazurki as the miner bringing medicine to his wife
Charles McGraw as Lt. Mathews of the Santa Rosita Police Department
Tyler McVey as a police radio voice (voice only, uncredited)
Cliff Norton as reporter
ZaSu Pitts as Gertie, the Santa Rosita Police Department Central Division's switchboard operator
Carl Reiner as the Rancho Conejo airport tower controller
Madlyn Rhue as secretary Schwartz of the Santa Rosita Police Department
Roy Roberts as policeman outside Irwin & Ray's Garage
Eddie Ryder as Rancho Conejo air traffic control tower staff member (uncredited)
Arnold Stang as service station co-owner Ray
Nick Stewart as the migrant truck driver forced off the road
The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Joe DeRita) as Rancho Conejo Airport firemen
Sammee Tong as a laundryman
Doodles Weaver as a Dinkler Hardware Store employee (uncredited)
Lennie Weinrib as a police radio voice, and as a fireman (voice only; uncredited)
Jesse White as a Rancho Conejo air traffic controller

tag: ul

text: Cast notes[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: According to Mark Evanier, William Rose's original story outline indicated that the five principals who visit Smiler Grogan's crash site were intended for Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason, and Red Skelton. Skelton was unable to take much time off from his television series, and thus agreed to only make a cameo appearance in the film. However, his demands for a high salary led to Stanley Kramer turning him down. Lucille Ball, Martha Raye, Joan Davis, and Imogene Coca were suggested as the men's female companions. Sophie Tucker and Mae West were both suggested for the role of Milton Berle's mother-in-law, that went to Merman. Rose wanted Jack Benny to play the role of the detective monitoring the group throughout the film. The role of Smiler Grogan was originally intended for Buster Keaton.

text: According to Paul Scrabo, Paul Picerni was originally cast as the second detective at Smiler Grogan's crash site.  Picerni was unable to appear in the film, but he recommended fellow Untouchables character Nicholas Georgiade for the role.  According to Georgiade, he was to have another scene in which his character had a police radio conversation with Spencer Tracy's Culpeper character.  The scene was ultimately not filmed.  An early cast list indicated that Jerry Lewis' role was originally intended for Jack Paar.  According to Michael Schlesinger, the role of Algernon Hawthorne was meant for Peter Sellers, who demanded too much money and was thus replaced by Terry-Thomas.

text: According to Robert Davidson,[7] the role of Irwin was originally offered to Joe Besser, who was unable to participate when Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas could not give him time off from his co-starring role in The Joey Bishop Show. According to the Monthly Film Bulletin, Jackie Mason was then cast in the role of Irwin, but had to bow out because of his night club commitments. The role ultimately went to Marvin Kaplan. According to Mark Evanier, Bob Hope was to have a cameo in the film. During the production of Mad World, Hope was arguing with the studio about the future projects that he was due in his contract, and they ultimately refused to allow him to appear. Further telephone conversations in Captain Culpeper's office were scripted and filmed but ultimately removed before the film's premiere. Culpeper was to be disturbed by a "Dr. Chadwick" and by an "Uncle Mike", in addition to his wife and daughter. The roles were respectively played by Elliott Reid and Morey Amsterdam.

text: Actress Eve Bruce filmed a scene as a showgirl who asks Benjy Benjamin and Ding Bell to help her put on suntan lotion. The scene was eventually cut and she is uncredited. Cliff Norton is listed in the opening credits, but is nowhere to be found in the film. Norton had a role as a detective who appears at the Rancho Conejo airport. King Donovan, playing an airport official, also appeared at Rancho Conejo. Both actors' scenes were cut but were credited. According to Mark Evanier, Howard Morris was booked to appear in Mad World and never appeared in the film, although he was paid for two days work. Don Knotts originally shot a second scene in which he tries to use a telephone in a diner. Also featured in the scene was Barbara Pepper. The sequence was not used in the finished film.

text: Production[edit]

text: Background[edit]

text: In the early 1960s, screenwriter William Rose, then living in the UK, conceived the idea for a film (provisionally titled So Many Thieves, and later Something a Little Less Serious) about a comedic chase through Scotland. He sent an outline to Kramer, who agreed to produce and direct the film.  The setting was subsequently shifted to America and the working title changed to Where, But In America? then One Damn Thing After Another and then It's a Mad World, with Rose and Kramer adding additional Mads to the title as time progressed.[8] Kramer considered adding a fifth "mad" to the title before deciding that it would be redundant but noted in interviews that he later regretted it.

text: Although well known for serious films such as Inherit the Wind and Judgment at Nuremberg (both starring Tracy), Kramer set out to make the ultimate comedy film. Filmed in Ultra Panavision 70 and presented in Cinerama (becoming one of the first single-camera Cinerama features produced), Mad World also had an all-star cast, with dozens of major comedy stars from all eras of cinema appearing in the film. The film followed a Hollywood trend in the 1960s of producing "epic" films as a way of wooing audiences away from television and back to movie theaters. The film's theme music was written by Ernest Gold with lyrics by Mack David. Kramer hosted a roundtable (including extensive clips) on the film with stars Caesar, Hackett and Winters as part of a special The Comedians, Stanley Kramer’s Reunion with the Great Comedy Artists of Our Time broadcast in 1974 as part of ABC's Wide World of Entertainment.[9] The last reported showing of the film on major network television was on ABC on July 16, 1979,[10] and before that, on CBS on May 16, 1978.[11]

text: Filming[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: The airport terminal scenes were filmed at the now-defunct Rancho Conejo Airport in Newbury Park, California, though the control tower shown was constructed only for filming. Other airplane sequences were filmed at the Sonoma County Airport north of Santa Rosa, California; at the Palm Springs International Airport; and in the skies above Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, and Orange County. In the Orange County scene, stuntman Frank Tallman flew a Beech model C-18S through a highway billboard advertising Coca-Cola. A communications mix-up resulted in the use of linen graphic sheets on the sign rather than paper, as planned. Linen, much tougher than paper, damaged the plane on impact.[citation needed] Tallman managed to fly it back to the airstrip, discovering that the leading edges of the wings had been smashed all the way back to the wing spars. Tallman considered that incident the closest he ever came to dying on film. (Both Tallman and his business partner and fellow flier on Mad World, Paul Mantz, would eventually die in separate air crashes over a decade apart.[12][13])

text: In another scene, Tallman flew the plane through an airplane hangar at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, next to the Pacific Coast Air Museum, in Santa Rosa.[14]

text: The fire escape and ladder miniature used in the final chase sequence is on display at the Hollywood Museum in Hollywood. Also, the Santa Rosita Fire Department's ladder truck was a 1960s Seagrave Fire Apparatus open-cab Mid-Mount Aerial Ladder.[15]

text: Production began on April 26, 1962 and expected to end by December 7, 1962 but in fact continued for a while longer,[16] apparently conflicting with the notion that Tracy's trip down the zip line into the pet store on December 6, 1962 was the last scene filmed.[17] Veteran stuntman Carey Loftin was also featured in the documentary, explaining some of the complexity as well as simplicity of stunts, such as the day he "kicked the bucket" as a stand-in for Durante.[18]

text: Widescreen process[edit]

text: The film was promoted as the first film made in "one-projector" Cinerama.  (The original Cinerama process filmed scenes with three separate cameras. The three processed reels were projected by three electronically synchronized projectors onto a huge curved screen.) It was originally planned for three camera Cinerama and some reports say that initial filming was done using three cameras but was abandoned. One camera Cinerama could be Super Panavision 70 or Ultra Panavision 70, which was essentially the Super Panavision 70 process with anamorphic compression at the edges of the image to give a much wider aspect ratio.[citation needed] When projected by one projector, the expanded 70mm image filled the wide Cinerama screen. Ultra Panavision 70 was used to film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Other films shot in Ultra Panavision 70 and released in Cinerama include The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Hallelujah Trail, Battle of the Bulge, and Khartoum. Super Panavision 70 films released in Cinerama include Grand Prix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Ice Station Zebra.[citation needed]

text: Animated credit sequence[edit]

text: Kramer's comedy was accentuated by many things, including the opening animated credits, designed by Saul Bass.  The film begins with mention of Spencer Tracy, then the "in alphabetical order" mention of nine of the main cast (Berle, Caesar, Hackett, Merman, Rooney, Shawn, Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Winters), followed by hands switching these nine names two to three times over.  Animation continues with paper dolls and a windup toy world spinning with several men hanging on to it and finishing with a man opening a door to the globe and getting trampled by a mad crowd.  One of the animators who helped with the sequence was future Peanuts animator Bill Melendez.[citation needed]

text: Reception[edit]

text:
The film opened at the newly built Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles on November 7, 1963. The UK premiere was on December 2, 1963 at the Coliseum Cinerama Theatre in London's West End.
Distinguished by the largest number of stars to appear in a film comedy, Mad World opened to acclaim from many critics[19] and tremendous box office receipts, becoming the 3rd highest-grossing film of 1963, quickly establishing itself as one of the top 100 highest-grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation, earning an estimated theatrical rental figure of $26 million. It grossed $46,332,858 domestically[20] and $60,000,000 worldwide,[2] on a budget of $9.4 million.[20] However, because costs were so high it only earned a profit of $1.25 million.[1]

text: The film's great success inspired Kramer to direct and produce Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (also starring Tracy and also written by William Rose)[21] and The Secret of Santa Vittoria (also scored by Gold and also co-written by William Rose).[22]  The movie was re-released in 1970 and earned an additional $2 million in rentals.[23]

text: The film holds a 73% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 33 reviews, with an average score of 6.8/10. The consensus states, "It's long, frantic, and stuffed to the gills with comic actors and set pieces—and that's exactly its charm."[24] According to Paul Scrabo, Kramer began thinking about his success with Mad World during the 1970s, and considered bringing back many former cast members for a proposed film titled The Sheiks of Araby. William Rose was set to write the screenplay. Years later, Kramer announced a possible Mad World sequel, which was to be titled It's a Funny, Funny World.[citation needed]

text: Awards and honors[edit]

text: The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and received Oscar nominations for its color cinematography, film editing, sound recording, music score, and original song for the title song.[25] It also received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and for Jonathan Winters' performance as Best Actor - Musical or Comedy, respectively losing to Tom Jones and Alberto Sordi for The Devil.[26]

text: The film is recognized by American Film Institute in the following lists:

text: 2000: AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #40[27]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Existing footage is in the form of original 70 mm elements of the general release version (recent restored versions shown in revival screenings are derived from these elements). A 1991 VHS and LaserDisc from MGM/UA was an extended 183-minute version of the film, with most of the reinserted footage derived from elements stored in a Los Angeles warehouse about to be demolished.[28] According to a 2002 interview with master preservationist Robert A. Harris, this extended version is not a true representation of the original roadshow cut and included footage that was not meant to be shown in any existing version.[29]

text: A restoration effort was made by Harris in an attempt to bring the film back as close as possible to the original roadshow release. The project to go ahead with the massive restoration project would gain approval from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (parent company of UA), although it did require a necessary budget for it to proceed.[29]

text: Released on January 21, 2014 as a two Blu-ray and three DVD set, the Criterion Collection release contains two versions of the film, a restored 4K digital film transfer of the 159-minute general release version and a new 197-minute high-definition digital transfer, reconstructed and restored by Robert A. Harris using visual and audio material from the longer original "road-show" version not seen in over 50 years. Some scenes have been returned to the film for the first time, and the Blu-ray features a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. It also features a new audio commentary from It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World aficionados Mark Evanier, Michael Schlesinger, and Paul Scrabo, a new documentary on the film's visual and sound effects, an excerpt from a 1974 talk show hosted by Stanley Kramer featuring Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, and Jonathan Winters, a press interview from 1963 featuring Kramer and cast members, excerpts about the film's influence taken from the 2000 American Film Institute program 100 Years...100 Laughs, a two-part 1963 episode of Canadian TV program Telescope that follows the film’s press junket and premiere, a segment from the 2012 special The Last 70mm Film Festival featuring surviving Mad World cast and crew members hosted by Billy Crystal, a selection of Stan Freberg's original TV and radio ads for the film with a new introduction by Freberg, trailers and radio spots from the 1960s/70s, and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Lou Lumenick with new illustrations by legendary cartoonist Jack Davis, along with a map of the shooting locations by artist Dave Woodman.[30]

text: Influence[edit]

text: Various subsequent films that employed the concept of a comedic search for money featuring an ensemble cast have either been speculated by critics, or confirmed by their creators, to have been modeled after It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, including Scavenger Hunt (1979),[31] Million Dollar Mystery (1987),[32] Rat Race (2001)[33] and Three Kings (2011).[34] The title music and some of the incidental ques were included in the documentary ToryBoy The Movie.[citation needed]

text: Attempted sequel[edit]

text: Claims of attempts to produce a sequel to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World have circulated, but no film producer has officially confirmed a sequel contract despite multiple  attempts.[35][36]