The color of your turn signals can impact your safety on the roads of Florida, according to studies made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For decades now, in fact, vehicle safety experts have known that amber turn signals are safer than red turn signals.
What the NHTSA studies found out
NHTSA conducted a study back in 2008 and found that cars with red turn signals were 22% more likely to be hit from the rear when compared to cars with amber turn signals. This risk goes up only when drivers are performing an action that requires the turn signals, such as turning and changing lanes.
In a second study made the following year, NHTSA took into consideration all the inherent biases regarding things like lens type and the separation of the red and amber elements. Nevertheless, it found that the risk for a rear-end collision still goes down 5.3% when drivers switch out red turn signals with amber, provided that the vehicle body and the taillight housing are not altered.
The future of amber turn signals
Though NHTSA has not issued any mandate on amber turn signals, it may require that vehicles have them to be eligible for a Five Star Safety Rating. Many automakers hesitate to add them, though, because though the individual component is inexpensive, the cost may quickly multiply.
Legal assistance for crash victims
If you were in a rear-end collision, you may have suffered whiplash and other serious, lingering injuries. If your own insurance company cannot cover the losses, you may be able to pursue a personal injury case, though it must be clear that you were not largely to blame for the crash. To see how your case might fare, you could consult a lawyer. The lawyer may even negotiate for the settlement for you.