How did the 'Red Flag Law' affect the development of automobiles?

Answer 1

That's why your brake light is red. Objects extending beyond the back of a wagon bed had to have a red 'flag' (rag) tied on for visibility. required that someone walk ahead of a horseless carriage with a red flag to warn oncoming traffic that one of those infernal machines was coming so they would be prepared to control their horse if it was frightened by the noise. But I don't know how this affected the development of the auto. Probably discouraged any improvements that could make the vehicle travel faster than a man could walk! Probably hurt sales because some people who could afford an auto couldn't afford to hire a flagman, too.