Why are car tail lights red?
Not only motorbikes but also cars have red taillights, so why?
Meaning dangerous
Each color usually carries one or more different meanings, which are assigned in most cultures. Of these, red has the most prominent meaning of conveying danger.
So it makes sense that red taillights are meant to alert the cars behind you that you are facing danger. This is especially true when the car is slowing down or stopping on the road.
Attract attention
Red also has another benefit that makes taillights ideal, which is that they are very good at attracting the attention of others.
You will notice the same effect in other areas of everyday life, for example a person wearing red will stand out in a crowd.
That effect also applies to taillights. So even if other road users are distracted, red is still likely to catch their attention when they see it ahead.
Additionally, red is also prominent in low visibility conditions, such as during storms.
By being highly visible, red taillights ensure that drivers can maintain a safe distance between vehicles and slow down when necessary.
According to traffic laws
Another reason taillights are red is because of traffic laws that require all car manufacturers to use standard red taillights on the vehicles they produce.
Taillights have been around since 1915, although automakers back then had very few requirements to follow. For starters, taillights back then weren't even red, but white or yellow.
However, it was not until 1949 that the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic established international standards for vehicle headlight colors.
This convention still influences road laws in countries around the world, specifying that car headlights can only be white, while taillights can only be red.
