Subject: Request to restore Red color for Speed and Red Light Camera pop-up banners.
Message:
I am writing to provide feedback regarding the recent change to the pop-up warning banners for speed and red light cameras. These alerts were previously Red but have recently changed to a dark gray/black color in Night/Dark mode.
I strongly urge you to revert these alerts back to Red for the following safety reasons based on driving psychology and neuroscience:
Visual Saliency (The "Pop-Out" Effect): Studies show that the human brain has a "Saliency Map" that scans for high-priority colors. Red triggers stronger gamma-band oscillations in the visual cortex than any other color, making it the most effective color for alerting a driver who is focused on the road.
Exogenous Attentional Capture: While driving, my primary focus (central vision) is on the road. A dark-colored banner blends into the interface. A Red banner, however, utilizes peripheral awareness to "capture" attention automatically. This allows the brain to recognize a hazard or alert without the driver needing to take their eyes off the road to "search" for the information.
Night Vision Safety: In dark mode, low-contrast dark banners are easily missed. Red is universally recognized as a "stop" or "danger" signal and provides the necessary contrast to ensure the driver is alerted instantly.
Restoring the red color will improve response times and overall driver safety. Thank you for considering this research-backed improvement.