I do not like red turn signals on cars. Red is for break lights; flashing red is for fire trucks. In my mind, this is the order of the world. I find it strange that auto manufacturers haven't settled on yellow as a standard color for indicators. Yellow is the obvious choice because it denotes caution and awareness, but not emergency or danger. Yellow also disambiguates a driver intent on changing lanes from one tapping their breaks.
BMW had long been an ally in this righteous battle, so I was gravely disappointed when I saw the E90 3-series has red indicators. Although I could be considered a Chris Bangle apologist (love the 5, hated the 7), I couldn't help but wonder if the controversial American designer had sold me up the river.
Not so! Apparently it wasn't Mr. Bangle, but the collective tastes of my own countryfolk. In my recent trip to Spain I noticed something different about the E90s on the European roadways: they have yellow indicators...
What leads me to believe that red turn signals are an American peculiarity is Audi, a company that regularly flip-flops, was unanimous in its selection of yellow in cars across the Atlantic.
This leaves only one question, why?
