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Red, Green and Yellow are used in traffic lights because they were proven to be the colours that were most easily distinguished in darkness or foggy weather. Apparently the colors of red and green were standard in the electrical industry at the time. The makers of railroad signals and traffic lights simply adopted the familiar color scheme.
The color selections are primarily due to their wavelengths. RED has the highest wavelength and hence propagates the farthest. That means you could see red light even when the weather conditions are bad. Hence RED for the most critical signal - STOP. Similarly for YELLOW/ORANGE and GREEN.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoStudies done first in Europe and Asia, then later on in the US have shown that people respond visually the most to bright contrasting colors in broad block shapes. (stripes and squares). These safety schemes have been common place in Europe and Asia for some time, but only in the last 6 to 10 years have started catching on in the states. A lot of Fire and EMS agencies are going to this paint/ decal scheme (especially on the rears of vehicles) to boost safety standards and lower insurance costs. One of the leading causes of death/ injury for first responders is car crashes where a passerby doesn't see a working 911 scene, and they hit responders. The theory is that the block or broad stripe paint scheme on the rear will lower the number of accidents resulting in responder casualties. As a paramedic, I welcome any change that might keep some rubbernecker from tagging me while I'm on scene of a call. I can't speak to Fire or Police on this part, but I know that US DOT standards for ambulance paint in the 1980s was white base with an orange horizontal stripe. This has long since been deemed no longer required although many agencies still use it out of tradition. The same goes for safety equipment and clothing... The typical US firefighter turnouts are actually quite impractical, uncomfortble, cumbersome, and difficult to don. US departments cling to the images of movies and tv though, wanting to have their employees look the part. In other countries, you see the sleeker, more manageable equipment that has followed innovation rather than image. Hope that helps!
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoNo, depending on the state or jurisdiction involved in addition to only having red lights, they may also be equipped with only blue lights orin some areas a combination of blue and red, or blue, and red and white.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agocolorblindness=the side of people who are blind with blue are usually not blind with red, they are on two different spectrums of colorblindbess and not associated.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoTo draw attention and warn of unusual movements, to signal other traffic to move to the side and stop.
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Why are dark blue police cars?
Not all police cars are dark blue. In fact most are not. The ones you see that are dark blue are painted that color because that is the color chosen by that police dept.
What are the popular colors of Little Tikes Cars?
The most popular colors for the Little Tikes cars are red and yellow, blue and black, and blue and green. Others include the police car (white and black) and red and black.
What color cars is stopped by police most?
Red and yellow cars. They are the most eye-catching.
What color are the oscillating lights on the police cars in Chicago?
Chicago is famous for having only Blue lights on its police cars
What do the Michigan state police call their cars?
Blue Goose
What color are the oscillating lights on the police cars?
Typically, the strobes are blue and red.
What is the distance that should be kept between cars?
yes they do. example : red and blue = purple and yellow and blue = green.
What colour is an Italian police car?
Most modern Italian Police cars are now pastal blue with a horizontal white stripe, prior to this they were white cars with a horizontal green stripe, earlier cars were all green.
What are some low insurance cars?
Cars that are not classified as sports cars are pretty low cost in insurance terms. Be sure to stay away from red and yellow as colors, as well, as police are attracted to those cars.
Why do police cars have light bar on the roof?
To make the pretty blue and red lights higher and easier to see.
What color emergency lights do state police cars have in Indiana?
Emergency lights in state police cars in Indiana are blue and red in most counties in Indiana. These are common colours, not just in Indiana, but throughout the United States and the world!
Street lights that use high pressure sodium vapor produce light that is mainly yellow with some red why are dark blue police cars not advisable in a community that uses these street lights?
When illuminated with white sunlight, a dark blue police car reflects mostly dark blue - which you see - and absorbs all the rest, such as red, green etc. It is similar with any object of some color. If the light comes from a sodium light which is mostly just yellow and some red, there is basically no blue to reflect from the car which, in the spectrum between red and blue, reflects only blue. Therefore the car will appear black or rather very dark and hard to see.
