Emergency or extreme braking lights

[lawrie]

Does anyone know the legalities of either having and intense red brake light come on under extreme braking eg when the ABS activates or alternatively have a rapidly flashing red light to indicate the same severe braking.
I would be interested in European laws as well as US.
thanks.

 

[evelrod]

Hi Brian. As I remember the old "third stop light" of the 50's---a "STOP" with a series of amber lights left and right of it that lit up sequentially when the throttle was released and full on with the "STOP" when the brakes were used---J.C. Whitney. Not much has changed. Familiarity breeds contempt!
Here in the SoCal freeways the cars are so closely packed that any panic braking results in multi car rear enders!
Nothing will change that short of an automated braking system that takes into account ALL the cars in the stream of traffic. Perhaps some sort of interlinked radar. Can't say, but for sure something is in the wind. My guess would be within 10 years.

Rod

 

[jons999]

Many luxury cars now have laser guided cruise control that will hold the distance behind a car in front of you if that car is going less than the speed your cruise control is set at. It will also decel the vehicle and apply the brakes if someone cuts you off. I don't think it will fully stop the car or apply the brakes hard enough to activate the abs or perform a panic stop though. I don't think it will be long before we have collision avoidance technology in vehicles but i think it will depend more on what consumers and lawyers have to say than making the actual technology work.

-Jon

 

[MacGyverS2000]

jons,

I kind of doubt what you mention is actively installed on any stock car. An object that flies in front of your car would cause the brakes to engage, potentially causing a read end collision with whomever was tailgating you, not to mention freaking out the driver. I see WAY too many bug possibilities in such a system to be viable without other systems guaranteed to be in place.


Dan
Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[zappedagain]

How about brake lights on the front of the car? That way when somebody cuts you off and you hit the brakes they get a little bit of feedback that they cut it too close. Manually flashing the headlights or flipping-the-bird is just too inconsistent.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

red lights should not be seen from the front of the vehicle... if they show up, expect a ticket from time to time.


Dan
Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[zappedagain]

I agree, red would be bad; yellow or orange is acceptable. And (to rephrase my statement) that way when I change lanes I'll get feedback if I caused the person behind me to hit their brakes!