Why are the rear lights of cars red?

Question

I was driving at night yesterday on the motorway when i noticed all the red lights (i thought it looked quite nice) anyway it made me wonder why is it that all cars rear lights are red

Answer 1

Red has always been the sign for danger, so to see a red light means be careful, don't get to close.

The colour red harks back to the days of the Spanish Armada, when beacons were lit to signal that danger was approaching. The beacon burnt a Red colour.

Answer 2

goes back to horse and buggy days. they wood hang a red light on the back at night.

Answer 3

IT tells you that this car is slowing down to make a stop ?  

Answer 4

you're obviously a bit weird, however.

It's so you know whether you are looking at the front or the back of a vehicle. ie if th lights are white then it's coming towards you, if they're red then your behind it and it's heading away from you.

Answer 5

red because you know how the traffic light red means stop. that symbolizes the car is stopping. (lolz idk wtf im talking about)

Answer 6

because red represesnts "stop"

like the stop signs and traffic lights.

green:go red:stop    get it?

Answer 7

Because if they were the same colour as your headlights everyone would get blinded at night & then there would be more accidents!  

Answer 8

That's so they don't BLIND you.

Answer 9

I would imagine that red was chosen because red does not destroy night vision. In submarines red lighting was used in the control-room just before the men went up onto the conning-tower at night fro this reason. Also red is the colour of danger so put the two together and you have two very good reasons fro using red.

Answer 10

Red is usually associated with danger, caution etc. The human mind automatically becomes alert when it sees the red colour. Given the human psychee, no other colour will be better than red for tail lights. This is why it is illegal to have brake lights and tail lights of any other colour than red.

Answer 11

Because red stands out, and causes attention toward them so people know when a car is stopping or what not.

Answer 12

Because they stand out and to tell them apart from head-lights...

And its pretty  

Answer 13

They are red beacause red stands out more than black or blue.

Answer 14

n o they are red because that means that you are doing something like moving forward at night or braking, turn signals are amber because it is something you are about to do or attempting to do. and back up lights are white because they think you can actually use them to see

Answer 15

Because its a colour associated with "Stop" (ie.brake lights) And if they were white/clear you would confuse them with the front of a car (ie cars infront of you would look like they were coming towards you!)

Answer 16

They are red because it is the most noticeable. If they were white, like headlights, you wouldn't be able to tell if the car ahead of you was driving towards you or away from you. That's my theory :)