Daytime Running Lights ?

Idiot.

Yes, we know you are. What else but an idiot relies on color to determine what someone is doing.

What shapes are the traffic lights in your neighbourhood?

Hey moron, read the post.

What the f*ck does a traffic light have to do with a turn signal or brake light?

Idiots like you should stick to defending clinton. At least then some people agree with you.

Sorry but that's way OT unless you're gonna post "I never had mechanical relations with that grill".

I drive defensively, because it allows me to be continually (and pleasantly) surprised that people are not complete idiots.

I consider myself fortunate that I have only ever encountered one driver that simultaneously refused to signal while riding the brakes.

I watch the car, not the lights, and assume that no one can see my large white car, except in circumstances where I am forced to trust the guy behind me (stoplights).

People with red-green colour blindness are forced to infer the light colour based on how other vehicles at the intersection behave; unless they can see the fixture. Some jurisdictions experimented with a different format to help colour blind drivers. It used a horizontal row of four lights, instead of a vertical column of three. There were two red lamps and a single lamp for green and amber. The lenses for green and amber were not shaded the same way. One was a diamond, and the other was a circle (if you were too far away to tell them apart, it should not be a problem).

Virtually all "color blind" people can correctly identify green and red. It is simply that their ability to pick a spot of green out from a red background (or vice-versa) is impaired. It is harder to tell red FROM green and takes a moment longer than someone with normal vision, but can still be done by most people with red-green deficiency. Thus, it really doesn't matter what color tail lamps are.... ANY bright tail lamp is a warning. Stop lights are another matter, and for decades now the orientation of lights has been standardized. Red is on the TOP of the signal for vertical installations, and on the left of the signal for horizontal installations.

FWIW, few people know that (or consciously recognize it)

Uh, where do you live? I can't believe there is a place on this planet where you can continually be pleasantly surprised at the quality of a driver.

Wow. What a novel concept. You mean you actually realize there are more things to pay attention to than flashing lights?

I didn't think there were any other capable drivers, based on this thread.

Why is it that people can't pay attention? This thread and my comments above are about tail lights and brake lights, but little stevey couldn't comprehend that.

My 1996 buick has them, what I don't like about it is, there is no way to turn them off while the engine is running ie' while you drive, or even park with engine running. There are times I'd like to shut the lights off but it's not possible. The new models should have a way to shut this feature off, even if it's a safety thing you certainly have a choice. One example is private detective work, you must be able to follow or watch someone at night, and you sometimes must conceal your vehicle- it can't be done with headlights on.

Yvonne

It can happen easily. If the driver both brakes and signals a turn at the same time you have an ambiguous signal. You don't know if his actual intent is to stop, slow, or turn. Sure, you know his ambers say "turn", but his red stop light say's "stop/slow" and it may be because he no longer feels it's safe to turn and has decided he must stop instead.

If you were to judge by most of the posts in this thread by the "experts", the "experts" spend most of their time fixated on the tail lights of the vehicle in front of them and become horribly confused if that vehicle does not have amber turn signals.

No, you have two lights giving two signals. One is signalling an impending turn, and the other is indicating that the vehicle is slowing down. Neither signal in itself can be interpreted as meaning anything else.

That is not the same as one light having two possible meanings (that's the definition of ambiguity).

Most drivers slow prior to turning.

The result is ambiguity. THe point being that using amber turns does not eliminate ALL possible ambiguous situations contrary to assertions made.

Does anyone use the rear amber turn signals as the 4-way hazard signals also? If so, that is another case of possible amber ambiguity if only one side of the vehicle can be seen - you wouldn't know if it was a turn signal or the 4-ways. In any case, ambiguity has more then one applicable use. My use is just as valid as your narrower use.

Yup, and virtually no drivers pump their brakes in such a fashion that anyone would think they were signaling a turn instead of making light brake application. But neither is 100% so it's always going to have a small "I'm not sure" factor.

How is it ambiguous? The red light indicates the car is slowing down. The amber light indicates that the car will turn at some point in the future.

This is different from one red light potentially meaning two different things or from 2 red lights which cannot easily be distinguished from one another.

As far as I know, all cars use the turn signals (regardless of color) as

That is true, but it's the only situation where ambiguity exists. With red turn signals, there are many situations where ambiguity exists.

There are idiots who inadvertently "pump" the brakes with their left foot while driving. Then there's stop and go traffic.

It doesn't matter. First, anyone with half a brain will notice both the turn and the braking, and assume he is at least slowing down. Second, even if he is doing neither, and he is just riding the brake and turning on signals randomly, you should still begin accident avoidance.

This whole argument is so stupid. If a person can not tell the difference between a turn signal and a brake light, they need to get off the road. If they can't drive safely knowing the other driver is doing something that warrants attention, they should get off the road.