A Simple Design Change Could Prevent A Lot Of Accidents

What if someone discovered that a minor, seemingly innocuous change in a vehicle’s design, that involves no technology, could reduce turn signals and save lives, and that the change would cost buyers next to nothing additional? You’d think that change would be adopted worldwide, without hesitation or any pushback from car manufacturers. Well, such a change may exist…but it doesn’t look like many changes are on the horizon.

Turn Signals on Your Vehicle

The change has to do with the turn signals on the outside of your car. But it doesn’t have to do with their size or brightness. The change is simply about the color of the turn signals. That’s right—studies are starting to show that different colored turn signals actually increase or decrease the rate of accidents.

Red vs. Amber

Most every vehicle has turn signals that light up as either red, or a yellowish amber color. If your car has amber signals, you’re in luck, because some studies suggest that amber turn signals are 22% safer (that is, do a better job at avoiding accidents) than red turn signals do.

The study was done by comparing accident rates in cars that had switched the color of their turn signals, which manufacturers sometimes do as part of cyclical car design refreshes. They also compared cars that were similar sizes, with similar features, other than turn signal color.

According to a University of Michigan study, surrounding drivers were quicker to react to and observe amber turn signals, than they were red ones, thus reducing the overall number of accidents when the turn signals were switched to amber or yellowish colors.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Study, reaction time in other drivers was about 20% quicker when turn signals were amber, as opposed to red.

Better Than an Extra Brake Light

In 1986 the government required vehicles to add an extra brake light onto their vehicles. That change did reduce accidents, but only by about 4%.

That means that changing the color of turn signals actually is more effective at reducing accidents than an entirely additional brake light. In fact, many countries have already outright banned the use of red turn signals on vehicles, something the U.S. has not adopted.

So Why Are There No Changes?

Despite the fact that the impact of turn signal color has been known for almost 50 years, car manufacturers here in the U.S. have not adopted any uniform color for turn signals, and many do continue to use the more dangerous red turn signals. That’s largely because of aesthetics—some manufacturers just believe that red turn signals look better. Others just randomly will change the color based on refreshes of the car’s design.

But as of now, it doesn’t look like any mandated design changes are on the horizon.

Questions about your car accident? Contact our Rhode Island injury lawyers at Robert E. Craven & Associates at 401-453-2700.

Sources:

crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811115

roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a32718015/turn-signal-dangers-july-2020/