Why not require amber rear turn signals?

[Tosh]

I'm a firm believer that amber rear turn signals are much more attention-getting - and thus safer - than red, even if the red turn signals are separate from the brake lights.
I've often crawled along rush hour traffic where I can only see one side of a car and can't tell if someone ahead in the next lane is flashing brake lights or turn signals, ready to pounce into my lane. Even with the whole rear visible, if someone has one brake light out, then it takes an extra second for my brain to figure out what's going on: Is he stopping or turning?
I think it's a money saving choice, as opposed to a styling choice. In Europe amber turn signals are required, and US cars sold there have them, so they have the design ready. Some VW and Mercedes models have all red appearance taillights, but still flash amber turnsignals, so it's not a question of car makers not knowing how. I've noticed even Audi and BMW choose red turn signals, apparently to save money. And Honda plays around with amber and red willy-nilly according to the stage of the product cycle. But when I saw a Subaru Legacy with red turn signals, I thought enough is enough. I can't believe car makers are so cheap that they would rather save 50 cents for some amber plastic than put in more visible lights. I thought good communication and lack of ambiguity were important in traffic?

 

[eljefino]

I'm with you, particularly with LEDs allowing new styles of hiding/shoehorning the amber in.

Worst is when some bozo without a third brakelight starts signaling and pumping the brakes at the same time, it's a circus back there.

This subject came up on rec.autos.tech about a decade ago, and there were argumentative crotchety geezers who complained that if they were driving at night and someone passed them, the amber light blinded their night vision. FWIW.

 

[Greaser]

I think in Europe it's the law to have rear amber.

 

[White850T5]

I agree with you 100%. I hate seeing red rear turn signals. While we're on the topic of turn signals, I think it'd also be nice if sidemarkers were required on all new vehicles, as has already been the case in Europe for a long time.

 

[brianl703]

I wonder why the old N-body Chevrolet Malibu has amber rear turn signals. It was never ever sold in Europe.

 

[ccs v2.0]

Amber signals are one of the safety criteria when car shopping, not quite as high as ABS and air bags, but nonetheless, a serious item I consider. As eljefino says, plenty of circus acts out there, I don't need to put myself or my family in geopardy with the many distracted drivers out there as it is.

 

[John K]

Now if there was just a way to fix it so the car can't turn at all unless the turn signal has been on to prevent the people from not using them or to prevent them from turning them on when they start to make the turn!!! It is all about communication, I just don't understand it when people don't use them at all.

 

[Touring5]

Yeah, I really love the drivers who turn on the signal in mid-lane change. I guess it's their way of saying "I meant to to that."

Does anybody remember when the high mounted rear brake lights were implemented? As I recall, they did a pilot study and found that cars with such brake lights reduced rear end collisions. The government then mandated them and after several years it was revealed that they weren't effective in widespread use. It was believed that when first tested they were a unusual and got driver's attention, but when commonplace, people didn't really notice them. I suspect that similar results would occur if brake turn signal colors were changed.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

High-mounts became a requirement in 1986 for passenger cars...I can't remember the year they became required on trucks, but it was years later if memory serves. I like LED high-mounts, like on Cadillacs and Accords..they're real attention getters. I'm converting all the taillights and blinkers on my Frontier to LED.

 

[dwendt44]

US auto makers have been using amber turn signals(rear) for a long time(mid 70's). Often, when a auto maker has 'twins', on gets red, the other amber. Ford especially; Ford had red, the Mercury twin got amber.
Since many brands have amber for export, I doubt it's more expensive to make a amber lens than a red one; the only answer left is styling conciderations.
My 2¢

 

[Pablo]

I like it too - but do you really think this will stop bozo from barrelling up your bumpasss?

 

[Thermo1223]

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High-mounts became a requirement in 1986 for passenger cars...I can't remember the year they became required on trucks, but it was years later if memory serves. I like LED high-mounts, like on Cadillacs and Accords..they're real attention getters. I'm converting all the taillights and blinkers on my Frontier to LED.

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Thats a shame as they produce less light when compared to haolgens but there are some LED replacements out there that do live up to the hype.

Where did you get them from?

 

[CBDFrontier06]

I just got my 25-led tail / brake bulbs from SuperBrightLEDs.com. in the mail yesterday and installed them. I checked them out in pitch-black last night and they're exactly the same brightness as the incandescents they replace, BUT they don't put out quite as much light to the sides, which results in a little less reflection off the reflectors in the tail lights. Looked at them at noon today and they actually seem a little brighter during daylight. Overall I'm happy with them, mainly because I like the look of instant on / off. Looking forward to the turn signals and high-mount arriving later this week.

 

[eljefino]

The new generation crown vic had amber lights in 1998 or so then they dropped them. They look great on cop cars all lit up, more contrast and color.

I was around in 1986 when the CHMSL came out. They are/were of benefit in a line of cars as you could see ahead through the car in front of you to see when the car two cars ahead would start braking. I see less of this benefit with a tall SUV somewhere in the mix, maybe that's what caused the benefit to fade a bit.

Saabs (?) have the amber blinker in the front fender behind the front tire. Great place. Euros have it right again. Many cars have badges here to take up the hole in the fender... it'd probably be pretty easy to retrofit.

I like the LED chsml because LEDs take very little time to attain full brightness when power is applied. Gives more reaction time. The regular lower taillights can be incandescents IMO b/c they spread the light better.

 

[Max_Wander]

You know what is the worse, when there are 2 lights in the back of the car. You know where both brake lights double as an indicator. American Ingenuity, right there.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

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Yeah, I really love the drivers who turn on the signal in mid-lane change. I guess it's their way of saying "I meant to to that."

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Show a turn signal anywhere in the Northeast ahead of your lane change, and some psycho will come along to take the space away. It's part and parcel of the whole East Coast mindset.

I hit my turn signal at the instant I begin the lane change myself..

 

[Auto-Union]

I tried amber bulbs in red housing hoping to get something ~orange~. No affect, same red colour.

 

[JHZR2]

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Does anybody remember when the high mounted rear brake lights were implemented? As I recall, they did a pilot study and found that cars with such brake lights reduced rear end collisions. The government then mandated them and after several years it was revealed that they weren't effective in widespread use. It was believed that when first tested they were a unusual and got driver's attention, but when commonplace, people didn't really notice them.

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Wow, if that is the case, I couldn't disagree more.

There have been many, many situations, particularly in impared vision stuations, like bright sun and whatnot, where I have noted that it took me an extra second to react to someone braking, as compared to if there were 3 lights.

This is particularly the case when there is a car in disrepair, and the third light doesnt work... maybe Im just expecting it and not paying enough attention to the others or something. IMO, though, the fact that it is ONLY on when the person is braking is a plus. Ive found the third brake light to be extremely helpful in terms of seeing whats going on, especially in the world of poorly, cheaply maintained cars where probably >50% of the cars on the road are burned out on one of the three rears.

As for amber turnsignals, for me its more of a style thing... I see red blinkers, I see amber blinkers, both alert me to the fact that the person is turning, and both seem to alert me equally well. I prefer the look of amber though.

JMH

 

[thooks]

If you can't see more than one car ahead of you, you need to BACK OFF just a touch.

Yeah, I know. Some idiot is going to push the envelope and try to fill that space. But I have noticed a slight move towards people giving some space on the jam-packed freeways in 3 MPH traffic. I think the people have FINALLY woke up and realized that we all need to give some room, otherwise we are looking at a smashed up car.

As far as amber turn signals, I like them. Mandate them? Heck no. Let the automakers decide who is building a better car.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

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Mandate them? Heck no. Let the automakers decide who is building a better car.

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The only downside to that is I don't get to pick what the guy driving in front of me bought.

Personally I don't care if they are amber or not as long as they make the turn signal big enough and separate enough from the brake light next to it. The other day I was behind a car (don't remember what it was but it was a new design) and the brake light was fairly big but the turn signal was just a red sliver along the outside edge of the brake light and was very difficult to see.