Rear Turn Signals: Red or Amber?

  • Thread starter buickgnx88
  • 48 comments
  • 9,201 views

Amber or red turn signals?

  • Total voters
    50
I have yellow and I prefer yellow. I sometimes see American imports who confuse me. Their braking lights ALSO begins to blink. This is dangerous.. It's illegal to have them on the car BUT not if the car is an import. :ouch: Stupid reason, because the only cars who have them are American... D'oh.

Slashfan
Not to mention yellow on American trucks looks like utter garbage.
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As taillights?
 
Carlos
Their braking lights ALSO begins to blink. This is dangerous.. It's illegal to have them on the car
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The brakes only blink when the driver is braking very hard it is a safety feature.

Blinking lights attract attention and tell you that the car in front is performing an emergency action or some just blink to tell drivers behind that you are applying the brakes.

But normally they would be removed to comply with local laws.

In Australia brake lights have to "be lit at a constant rate when the brakes are applied" so no flashing or like the Volvo S60 which has brake lights that glow brighter the harder you apply the brakes, so to comply with Australian road laws that feature was removed.
 
Carlos
I have yellow and I prefer yellow. I sometimes see American imports who confuse me. Their braking lights ALSO begins to blink. This is dangerous.. It's illegal to have them on the car BUT not if the car is an import. :ouch: Stupid reason, because the only cars who have them are American... D'oh.



As taillights?
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Yes as tailights. On my truck, it has the 5 evenly spaced amber lights on top of the cab, as well as 4 amber turn signals (truck, plow frame), then 2 accent amber lights on the front fenders. On the back, I only have 2 large red tailights also used as signals (no roof tailight). Looks great.
 
I voted no preference but upon further thought, I prefer red.

More specifically I prefer when the rear turn signal and the rear brake light use the same bulb. Makes it easier to tell when the bulbs are out.

Can't tell you how many cars I've been following that have had burnt out brake lights.
 
Adamgp
Can't tell you how many cars I've been following that have had burnt out brake lights.
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Same here, and plenty with blown headlights too. Far too many, particularly as the long nights draw in over winter.

That said, if a car is to have a blown brake light I'd prefer that it doesn't also mean the turn signal is out too...
 
homeforsummer
Same here, and plenty with blown headlights too. Far too many, particularly as the long nights draw in over winter.

That said, if a car is to have a blown brake light I'd prefer that it doesn't also mean the turn signal is out too...
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A burnt out headlight is usually pretty obvious to the driver and usually fixed asap. Of course I happen to come upon drivers who don't turn on their headlights until it is absolutely pitch dark out.

I prefer a combo bulb because if it is burnt out, it is pretty obvious when trying to use the turn signal. (signal flashes at hyper speed, and is quite annoying. At least that happens on US spec cars)
 
Grayfox
The brakes only blink when the driver is braking very hard it is a safety feature.

Blinking lights attract attention and tell you that the car in front is performing an emergency action or some just blink to tell drivers behind that you are applying the brakes.

But normally they would be removed to comply with local laws.

In Australia brake lights have to "be lit at a constant rate when the brakes are applied" so no flashing or like the Volvo S60 which has brake lights that glow brighter the harder you apply the brakes, so to comply with Australian road laws that feature was removed.
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Hmm okay. I know the safety feature (only here they are yellow) but it was an older American car so that probably wasn't it.. I have seen it a couple of times...

And I didn't knew about that Volvo feature. Pretty nice but on and off is better I think.

Slashfan
Yes as tailights. On my truck, it has the 5 evenly spaced amber lights on top of the cab, as well as 4 amber turn signals (truck, plow frame), then 2 accent amber lights on the front fenders. On the back, I only have 2 large red tailights also used as signals (no roof tailight). Looks great.
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So your braking lights go on or off when you put the ambers on? This is what I didn't liked about the imports I saw :embarrassed: It doesn't look bad but I could easily get confused..
 
I like clear signal lens, but the light should illuminate amber, not red.

The Focus had amber lights but they looked like egg yokes in the clear lenses so I swapped in chrome stealth bulbs to make them look better. So I get the clean look with the amber light. LED's would have done the same thing, but I didn't want to deal with resistors.
 
buickgnx88
Most countries require amber turn signals in the rear, while a couple allow red lights as well. The question I'm posing is a two parter: what color rear turn signals do you have on your car(s) (if you have a car), and what color do you think is better to have?
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2012 Kia Optima - has red turn signals in the rear. Amber (i am assuming that is the shade of yellow or orange) on the mirrors and front head lights.

1994 GMC Sierra - red in the back and amber in the front.

Both of the cars have stock lights. So pretty much it has to be legal to have the red in the back instead of amber.
 
I don't have a preference to be honest. My mom's F30 328i has red indicator lights, and my dad's M37S has yellow indicator lights. I guess in this country, it won't really matter what color it is.
 
swara96
I don't have a preference to be honest. My mom's F30 328i has red indicator lights, and my dad's M37S has yellow indicator lights. I guess in this country, it won't really matter what color it is.
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I think the front are the only ones that have to be amber
 
ORPHANTHIRTY7
I think the front are the only ones that have to be amber
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In the US yes, in other countries the rears have to be amber. US manufactures typically have to redesign tail lamps to accommodate the amber light when selling cars in other countries.
 
Joey D
In the US yes, in other countries the rears have to be amber. US manufactures typically have to redesign tail lamps to accommodate the amber light when selling cars in other countries.
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They also have to have custom wiring harnesses for the front since other countries say side lights have to be white.
 
My Bonneville has amber lenses for turning in the rear. If I had the time and determination I'd like to remove the amber plastic casing and have just an amber bulb on a clear background... I can't stand orange plastic on cars front or rear! It ruins everything for me. But I'm happy that my turning signals are separate from my brake lights.
 
Carlos
Hmm okay. I know the safety feature (only here they are yellow) but it was an older American car so that probably wasn't it.. I have seen it a couple of times...

And I didn't knew about that Volvo feature. Pretty nice but on and off is better I think.



So your braking lights go on or off when you put the ambers on? This is what I didn't liked about the imports I saw :embarrassed: It doesn't look bad but I could easily get confused..
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Ambers are on the front. All rear lights are red.
 
Grayfox
They also have to have custom wiring harnesses for the front since other countries say side lights have to be white.
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Didn't know that part. Hummmm cool
 

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