Influence of Rear Turn Signal Characteristics on Crash Risk. Traffic Safety Facts, Vehicle Safety Research Notes

摘要

Requirements for the color of rear turn signals differ between the standards set by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and United States standards. In the ECE standards, all rear turn signals are required to be amber, while in the United States, they can be either red or amber. This difference has led to questions about whether there are safety differences associated with turn signal color. Consistent color coding of functions might facilitate recognition of the meaning of a signal, allowing a driver to respond more efficiently. It is also possible that, apart from color coding, an amber turn signal is more conspicuous to a floowing driver amid a field of red tail and stop lamps. This might allow an amber turn signal to be recognized more quickly or confused less often with another rear signal. This document illustrates one way in which such confusions might lead to rear-end collisions.