German vs US Model Cars Question

[VaSteve]

What is the requirement for turn signals on German cars?

When euro 911s came to the USA back in the day, they would often take off the turn signals on the front fenders. Now every German/euro car I see has them (BMW, Auid, Volvo, etc).

Used to be that rear turn signals were yellow. People pay big bucks for yellow lenses on the 911 board. My 2004 325 has yellow turn signals. The new models (2005+) are all red. So I went to www.bmw.de to see what they got in Germany. Looks like all red. I don't recall 993s/996 coming to the US with yellow rears? So what's the deal? Is there a law and did it change?

[VincentVega]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting

Turn signal colour

Until the early 1960s, most front turn signals worldwide emitted white light and most rear turn signals emitted red. Amber front turn signals were voluntarily adopted by the auto industry in the USA for most vehicles beginning in the 1963 model year, though front turn signals were still permitted to emit white light until FMVSS 108 took effect for the 1968 model year, whereupon amber became the only permissible colour for front turn signals. Presently, almost all countries outside North America require that all front, side and rear turn signals produce amber light. In North America the rear signals may be amber or red. International proponents of amber rear signals say they are more easily discernible as turn signals, and US studies in the early 1990s demonstrated improvements in the speed and accuracy of following drivers' reaction to brake lamps when the turn signals were amber rather than red. US regulators and other proponents of red rear turn signals claim there is no proven lifesaving benefit to amber signals.[27][28][29][30][31]

[edit] Side turn signals

In most countries outside North America, cars must be equipped with side-mounted turn signal repeaters to make the turn indication visible laterally rather than just to the front and rear of the vehicle. These are permitted, but not required in North America. As an alternative in North America, the front amber sidemarker lights may be wired to flash with the turn signals, but this also is not mandatory. Recently, some automakers have begun incorporating side turn signal devices into the sideview mirror housings, rather than mounting them on the vehicle's fenders. There is some evidence to suggest these mirror-mounted turn signals may be more effective than fender-mounted items.[32]

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Who cares - Asian drivers don't use 'em anyway.

*ducks*

[on2wheels52]

As a daily motorcycle rider my situational awareness has noted that ANY driver in this area that uses turn signals/lane changer on a regular basis is a rare bird (my wife uses them leaving the driveway).
Jim

[VaSteve]

Chris
Thanks. Didn't think of wiki... Still doesn't really answer the question. Says above that other countries require them to be amber in the rear. But they are most definitely red on the new BMWs.
Hmmm..did they change things?

[Victor]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Who cares - Asian drivers don't use 'em anyway.

*ducks*

Yes, they do. Only, they usually leave an indicator turned on when driving straight ahead, or use them to indicate the opposite direction of turn immediately before wrenching the wheel.......while apllying make-up.