Turn signals are an important safety feature that makes it easier for other drivers to understand your behavior on the road. They let other drivers know when you are turning, changing lanes or activating your emergency flashers. They can also be used to signal when you are braking, since brake lights are always red.
How to Make Turn Lights
You can make turn lights by replacing a worn-out bulb with a new one, if the socket isn’t broken and the power wires are connected correctly. To do this, you’ll need a flashlight and a small screwdriver. You’ll also need to remove the old bulb and replace it with a new one.
The bulb and the socket may need to be tested for proper function, as the electrical connections could get loose or broken (a common problem in parking lots). You’ll need a voltmeter and some testing equipment to do this.
Some turn signals use a load resistor to help your vehicle’s electronic control unit sense the resistance of the new LED bulb. Without the load resistor, you’ll experience what is known as “hyper flash”—a very quick and confusing blinking of your turn signal that can attract the attention of the police and lead to a possible ticket.
Load resistors are typically included with LED bulbs, but you can also buy them separately if your car doesn’t already have them installed. This is a great way to prevent the hyper flash issue and save money on replacement bulbs.
How to Make Turn Lights at the Intersection
The intersection may have traffic signals in both directions, but they are usually arranged vertically with a green signal for left-turning lanes and a red signal for straight lanes. Often, these intersections have a median to separate the left-turning lanes from the other lanes.
Depending on the type of intersection, there are different types of turn lights. Some have dedicated turn lights for the left-turning lane, while others have signal heads for both left-turning and straight lanes.
There are also signals that allow the driver to make a left-turn against the flow of opposing traffic, or when no other vehicle is present. These are called dedicated left-turn signals, and a left-pointing arrow turns green when it is safe to turn, and turns red or disappears if there’s conflict.
These signals are also sometimes called permissive or advanced left-turn signals. They differ in how the arrow appears, which is a vertical bar with five lights and two arrows underneath a standard green light.
They can be a little tricky to use, however, since they are not positioned exactly in the same location as your regular lights. They’re not as obvious as your other lights, and some people might mistake them for brake & tail lamps.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when using turn lights, including that they should be used only in daylight and when you can see clearly behind you and beside you. You should also use them when you’re making a large or tight turn in your vehicle and you need to warn the other cars, pedestrians, or cyclists that you are about to do so.
