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My brother couldn't tell if his car's check engine light was on because of the red/green dashboard

He called me panicking last Tuesday because his car felt weird, but the dash looked normal to him. I had to go over and check, and sure enough, the light was on. He's red-green colorblind and said the warning light just blends into the other dash lights for him. It made me realize how many everyday designs, even in something as important as a car, aren't tested for this. Has anyone found a good way to modify or add a clear indicator for stuff like this?
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3 Comments
lilyrodriguez
Totally get this, my uncle has the same issue. He put a little piece of blue tape next to his check engine light so he can see if the shape is blocked.
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karen368
karen3681mo ago
Wow, that's actually brilliant. I always thought those lights were fine as they are, but that tape trick makes so much sense. It's a simple fix for a real problem. My whole view on dashboard design just shifted. They should really build something like that in from the start.
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bailey.xena
Seriously, the blue tape trick is GENIUS. It's wild that in 2024 we're still using colored lights for critical warnings. You'd think car makers would have figured out a universal symbol or, I don't know, a little beep? My friend's dad just drives until the car starts making a new noise, which is a terrifying strategy.
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