The Senseless Ambiguity of North American Turn Signals

We dont have amber bulbs btw! Its a white bulb behind amber plastic! Just like the brake lights are white!

Murica just doing Murica things. This is the dumbest design ever and a safety hazard!

"Signal first, brake, turn". Same as "measure twice, cut once'. What's the issue here?

Someone outta tell bmw drivers about this technology 😮

what if Canada changed the regulations? i know they wont but what if? and if they really started to fine people and USA tourists would the car companies change the design for the whole of NA?

I've been wondering about this for years. What I don't understand is why the manufacturers keep switching the design on the same model from year to year.

I have a 2019 Ford Escape. It has stop/turn combos in the rear. Other years have red stop/tail and amber turn signals. Go figure.

I've also noticed that some makes- Hyundai and Kia, for example- are placing the rear turn signals at the level of the bumper. Helpful to turtles that might be following you but if the guy behind you is too close you won't be able to see those turn signals.

The headlight thing really concerns me. Your assessment of the situation was right on the money! I'm trying to figure out how to get this word out to people but so far nobdy at the federal level responds to any of my emails.

Folks: Read your owner's manual and learn how your car works!

If your blinker is about to break or go out the triangle will blink faster and if you aren’t a complete moron turn on your 4 ways and walk around your vehicle every now and again it’s not hard to inspect your car and keep it safe if any light on your car goes out it’s your own fault not the designer your own fault the cops won’t charge the manufacturer they charge the driver it’s like driving on bald tires and complaining when you slide into a ditch

I stick my arm out the window to signal direction.
I also wear a long sleeved amber shirt.

the need to look for an extended time to see what function of the red light also stop you from focusing elsewhere as you may need to while driving

This is the most intelligent Doug DeMuro video I've ever watched.

You know Canada is IN Nord America, aren't you?

Probably explains why our 2019 Volt was hit and totaled.

Tank (military) use different colours for right and left turn.
I was thinking that it eventually would be standard in normal vehicle,
because it's harder to misinterpret even when you can't clearly see the vehicle.
Ex: off-road, car paint match background, late afternoon time - not bright - no tail light yet.

I was dead wrong.

Hay un nuevo Continente "Norte América", dónde queda?

Do you know big rig trailer build like this too and no reverse light

I'm with you on all points!!! Always going on about it. I have plans to modify my TJ to have amber rear turn signals. Of all the things mandated (most I don't want), somehow not this. OY

This issue that you've been publicizing is the reason I purposely swapped out (at great expense) the taillights on my Jeep Wrangler with a model that has sequential amber turn signals. Now, if I could figure out a way to make the front fender lights flash... sayyyy... you should make a video about Jeep's failure to do this on JK Wranglers!

That's why I imported my Audi which was made in Germany from north American, so you can drive these great red turn lights legally on German highways

Stubbornness in USA is mind blowing on some simple aspects of life.

Working turnsignals also could help. I grew up in Georgia and sometimes you'd see people using hand signals to show where they are turning.

Also on the subject of drls. Can we please for the love of God stop turning on front lights without rears?! At least the morons who don't realize their headlights aren't on would be illuminated from behind. This drives me up a wall.

That "led failure" could easily also be a wiring harness issue. Maybe they have mice, lol.

This would be solved (and still look appealing) if manufacturers made the taillights have both a red LED and an amber LED in half of the area (for example, the bottom half of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt). Both could then light up with red in the case of braking, but in the case of turning, the bottom half would be blinking amber instead.

I probably could have explained my idea better, but it would definitely keep people happy with the design and still be safe.

We got some come cool lights in America no weird sirens either

There is a more insane issue of when someone is pumping their brakes with a turn signal on. It can seem like they are using their flashers, pumping their brakes, or even more confounding when the left and right tail lights flash alternatingly.

Stupid design for definite. Another thing I've thought of is the fact that someone might be expecting the amber signals on some cars and never see them thanks to the fact that it isn't unified.

I recently took a small road trip that had me passing through an agricultural area with lots and lots of assorted trailers in use, every single one of which was North American styled. It was so damn hard to tell if they were slowing down to stop or to make a turn, especially if the sun was at the wrong angle. Just awful. Amber turn signals for everyone.

As a British person visiting the states. American cars do look better without the amber brake light.But even in the short times I've been on the roads I see the issues that arise from the lack of them.

It would be very interesting if people braked at 1-2 second intervals and only one light would intermittently in those exact intervals light up while the other one would mysteriously just keep shining. On a real note - having lived in both - US and Europe - to me it doesn't make a difference and I can spot a red turn signal as well as an amber one. 🤷🏻‍♂

Signal ambiguity doesn't matter. Either way, Regardless if a person is turning or not .The driver behind needs to Stop tailgating and hit the brakes. In fact, I think the American car is better. you are more likely to spot when a light is blown out when it is used in a dual purpose manner. With an independent signal light, You could follow a person for a long time not realizing their left turn signal was out since it wasn't being used as a brake light also.

North American cars have markers lights on the side also. There is an amber light on the front fender and red in the rear quarter, it's easy to see which direction the car is facing if the headlights are off and the car is parked.. North American cars are consistent with Amber on the front of the vehicle and only red on the rear of the vehicle for marking orientation.

the doug demuro reference always makes me lol

Thanks Karen

I agree with everything, except the "auto lights"

if u can’t tell a car is stopping without lights, you shouldn’t be driving

thank goodness i'm not the only person who is concerned about this

My car is a chinese brand which is called Haval. My model (Haval H6) has turn signals in which the cover appears to be red but turns into amber once activated. I find this nice as when the signals are off, the car from the rear looks fresh without multiple colors, although one needed, the lights are awaring and noticble. The brake light and turn signal lights are seperate.

My dads 2012 F-250 has a red turn signal and stop light and when your breaking with your turn signal on the break light stays on because they are different bulbs so when your breaking with the turn signal on the light just gets a little brighter

You are right, this is a serious problem. Less ambiguity is always a good thing when at the wheel of a low speed cruise missile. I am also a big fan of "wipers on headlights on" idea. Missouri has signs all over its highways reminding drivers of this. New York is another state i know has similar laws. It needs to be a law in all 50 states...or at least a majority of states to get the auto makers to make this standard.
On a less serious note, thank you for pointing this out...now I can't not notice what sort of turn signal the car ahead of me has. That is when they bother to use their turn signals in the first place. Since "Turn signal a$$hole" is the most heard comment in my car, it isn't THAT much of a problem.

I’d really like to know why European (and other) car manufacturers still produce cars with both options like Audi etc. I’ve seen them with red turn signals as well in Canada. So is it mandatory or optional? And if optional, why do they offer it?

today I saw a dodge with an amber turn signal which actually took over the brake light and flashed

It's stupidity, and a compulsion to save… maybe 50¢… that drives American auto designers to do this. I drove a '95 Neon for 15 years and just short of 250,000 miles without a crash, and wondered the whole time why, given the very large size of the taillight bezel, Chrysler couldn't have added an amber turn signal. A few years after I donated the car (no more new ECUs were available when mine went bad), I came across a photo online of a '95 Neon in Japan. That taillight bezel had both a red AND an amber lens, with separate bulbs for each, and both were sufficiently sized, so the lack of an amber turn signal on Neons for the American market was sheer short-sightedness.

I agree with you on the automatic headlights. Too many peoples think their lights are on because the instrument cluster lights on the dash are always on.

oh god here we go again with this stupid sh*t