Traffic lights malfunctioned nearly 30 years

For nearly 30 years, two traffic signals at a T-junction in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture Japan, simultaneously turned green for about seven seconds at a time, it has been learned.

An accident at the junction in June brought the issue to the attention of the Fukushima prefectural police.

The malfunction was caused by a programming error--a mistake that had never been rectified.

The police have apologized to the drivers involved in the accident and have removed one of the offending signals.