Why are stoplights the colors they are (red, yellow, green)?

Question

Red makes sense to me. What else is red? Fire, etc. If something is red with fire, you know not to touch it. I can see the association there, and yellow would speak of caution because it's not quite red... But why green? Why not blue and have all primary colors? (In some places/countries I've travelled to, the "green" light is more blue)

And seriously (not just my own musing suppositions), why did signs and then streetlights come to have the colors they have now?

dad4.best, you didn't provide the full link, but I found it for myself here: http://www.inspirationline.com/Brainteaser/traffic.htm

Thanks for the lead.

Answer 1

your answer can be found at www. inspirationline.com/brainteasers/traffic.htm

Answer 2

have you ever heard about how colors are cool or hot?

hot- red, orange, yellow

cool- green, blue, purple

(I'm not making this up!!!)

Red is also the color of stop signs.

Yellow isn't as "warm" as red, so it's a warning. Also, yield signs are yellow..

Green is a cool color, so they use green. I don't know why they use green instead of blue, but maybe they are afraid it will blend in with the sky?


They weren't going for a primary color thing, because red=hot, stop yellow=warning, warm


wait


green means go

thats what i say when the light turns green and the morons have slow reaction...


and it's also an alliteration, kind of

Answer 3

Stoplight is red because stop signs are red. Red is a color that stands out from Green and Yellow. Green means go, hence why it's green.

Answer 4

The original control lights were used on railroads – red for stop, and white to proceed. But they had trouble with vandals shooting out the glass on the red lights to give trains a false "go" signal, so the white was eventually changed to green.

Answer 5

In the old days they had lever mechanical signs (kinda similar to the semiphore VWs)...with no lights and they needed colors that would stand out. they chose green and red (originally there was no yellow)
wanderer

Answer 6

They are probably that color just through usage. I

I'm told that the green light is blue-green so that it is visible to a greater number of color blind men.

Answer 7

Gree represent Trees, peace. is a mental thing when u see green u feel safer.
thats why is green
i think ur teacher tells u look at more green, helps ur eyes too right?

Answer 8

the first traffic signal was invented by Garrett Morgan ,AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTOR! The colors were borrowed from the rail road and he added yellow later to give warning

Answer 9

red and green are contrasting colors....they dont go together (except on christmas) thats why they were choosen...