Technology is a building process. We continue to evolve our tech by re-evaluating old tech. That’s how computers and software continue to evolve and that’s how the automotive industry evolved. The first cars were pretty basic. Wheels, an engine, body and some minor electric work. They didn’t have much for safety or entertainment – those evolved overtime. One example of this evolutionary process is the turn signal.
The Evolution of the Turn Signal
Percy Douglas-Hamilton invented and patented a simple pair of hands that attaches to the car in 1909.Florence Lawrence created but did not patent a device that used a pair of arms to signal turns in 1920. Edgar Walz Jr. designed and patented a light with two arrows and a brake light in 1925. Lastly, Joseph Bell created and patented the first electrical device that flashed in the late 1930s.
How long did it take for the turn signal to become a standard feature in a car? Only a few years after Joseph Bell’s invention. In 1939, Buick made the turn signal standard on their vehicles. They were the first car company to do so.
