Why Do We Use Red, Green, and Yellow Colors In Traffic Lights?
4. Adding the Yellow Light
The need for a warning phase became evident as accidents occurred due to abrupt transitions from green to red lights. In 1920, William Potts, a Detroit police officer, added a yellow light to the existing red-green system. This innovation gave drivers a clear signal to slow down and prepare to stop when the light changed from green to red, significantly improving safety at intersections.
5. Why These Specific Colors?
You may not believe it, but the reason why red is the color used to signify danger is because of physics. You see, colors are just light of different wavelengths that our eyes can perceive. The light spectrum that humans can see goes from violet, which has the shortest wavelength, to red – the longest wavelength. The longer the length, the farther the light will travel from the source, meaning you can see red light from further away. Heck yeah, science!
