Reversing lamps
To provide illumination to the rear when backing up, and to warn adjacent vehicle operators and pedestrians of a vehicle’s rearward motion, each vehicle must be equipped with at least one rear-mounted, rear-facing reversing lamp (or “backup light”). These are currently required to produce white light by U.S. and international ECE regulations. However, some countries have at various times permitted amber reversing lamps. In Australia and New Zealand, for example, vehicle manufacturers were faced with the task of localizing American cars originally equipped with combination red brake/turn signal lamps and white reversing lamps. Those countries’ regulations permitted the amber rear turn signals to burn steadily as reversing lamps, so automakers and importers were able to combine the (mandatorily amber) rear turn signal and (optionally amber) reversing lamp function, and so comply with the regulations without the need for additional lighting devices. Both Australia and New Zealand presently require white reversing lamps, so the combination amber turn/reverse lamp is no longer permitted on new vehicles. The U.S. state of Washington presently permits reversing lamps to emit white or amber light.