Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
(OP)
For many years now (say 10 or more) I have seen what appear to be brand new cars with the high-mounted brake light pulsing, while the main brake lamps do not, at a rate of maybe once per second when the brakes are applied. This pulsing seems to stop after the cars are a month or two old, or maybe it's a mileage thing. I've also seen some (but much fewer) relatively new cars do this, making me wonder if they were just reset, i.e., new PROM or ECU, something like that.
Please tell me I'm not imagining this! and what purpose it serves? Some kind of study? To tell you the truth, I like the idea of pulsing HM lights, but if all cars did it all the time, it would get annoying pretty quickly in heavy traffic.
Please tell me I'm not imagining this! and what purpose it serves? Some kind of study? To tell you the truth, I like the idea of pulsing HM lights, but if all cars did it all the time, it would get annoying pretty quickly in heavy traffic.





RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
However, whatever benefits there might have been, it's potentially swamped by the fact that people tend to use their brakes as turn signals, and often brake for no reason whatsoever.
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Ambulance chasing lawayers would have a field day if a rear-ender cited flashing lights causing an epileptic fit as the cause of an accident.
- Steve
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Regards
Pat
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
This is a signal to the driver behind you that he should stand on the brake as well, instead of just "touching it lightly".
I'm not certain if the acceleration sensors are used for this, or the ABS control.
Benta.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
http://www.pulseprotects.com/
http://pulsingbrakelight.com/
One website does imply that pulsing lights were abandoned because of complaints.
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Again, it's likely that the drivers of such vehicles get complaints, and go to the dealer to get it turned off.
The other issue, particularly for somewhat older vehicles is that the top brake light was still using incandescent bulbs, which would quickly burn out with that much pulsing.
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
I can't believe no one else has seen this?! Could it have been a regional test?
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
This whole discussion revolves around something where nobody knows where it happens.
For all I know, the OP might be in Tasmania...
Probably, her/his observations were made in the USA, which everyone knows is the centre of the world. But perhaps not.
I posted about European cars earlier, but that was most likely irrelevant.
Well....
Benta.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
B.E.
The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
benta
Although USAans are the biggest single group here, they are still well short of a majority, so you are correct to wonder what jurisdiction and traffic laws might apply. I get accused of Yank bashing and even offend some people who I hold in high regard if I suggest that some from the USA unreasonably expect us to automatically know this.
It is quite a while since GM sold anything with a Chevy badge in Tasmania, so the fact that RossABQ refereed to a Chevy wiring diagram is a reasonable indication he is not from Tasmania or anywhere else GM does not sell Chevy badged cars. I guess that leaves the Americas and the Middle East as possibilities. Maybe parts of Africa?
Anyway, problem solved, no matter where in the world he is.
Regards
Pat
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
I saw a piece buried in the back pages of the newspaper to the effect that a 20-year study of the impact of high-mounted brake lights on the rate of rear-end collisions in the US was... ZERO. As I recall, the study was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who had previously (before the reg's became mandatory) estimated a 50% drop in rear end collisions. Counter-intuitive, but if we were totally data-driven, wouldn't that argue for a repeal of the regulations?
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
This begs the question, why not eliminate turn signals since nobody uses them anyway?
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
However, as the odds are that the car in front of you will be a Ford F650 or some other monstrosity, the safety effect is cancelled.
(some sarcasm here...)
Benta.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Rod
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
The intent is to make it more obvious that you've got a jack^$$ about to snake you. They like being in front of the pack, but not going at the speed required to maintain that position.
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Certainly more distractions and a fashion statement of heavy window tints counters some safety devices.
Regards
Pat
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
I pump the brake pedal whether the guy behind me is awake or not. We were hit from behind (notice I did not say rearended here) back in '77 by a person doing 55 when I was stopped. Do not want to go thru that again.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
I'm with you. Not something I need to repeat.
Rod
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
- Steve
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
No fancy safety features would have done as much as a simple headrest. Although a collision detection system that fired a rocket propelled grenade into his Jeep sounded pretty good at the time.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
A transporter beam would be way more useful. Your guy could have been dropped off in Timbuktu or similar.
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
An accident a few years ago makes me think that, yes, something less crude than brake lights would help. On a rainy night my son was following another car as they approached a curve (familiar to both drivers). Out of view of my son, a dog ran in front of the other car- whose brake lights had already been lit for awhile. No car occupants (nor the dog) were injured in the ensuing collision, nor was there much vehicle damage. But I imagine that some type of "decceleration signal" might have helped avoid this collision.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
That right there is part of the problem. When somebody uses the brake to modulate speed to down around the ±1 mph level, to control following distance to ± a foot or two, or needlessly rests their foot on the brake pedal going through a curve instead of getting slowed down the necessary amount first - a following driver isn't going to immediately know when the leading driver suddenly gets serious about stopping.
Whether pulsing brake lights above some threshhold would be a real solution or just a temporary one until people start disregarding the steady brake light illumination is a separate matter.
It's a lot easier to trust the driver who uses the brakes harder but only when stopping or slowing significantly.
I'm sure that in addition to operator inexperience in this specific case, consumer transmission preference and mandated efforts at reducing fuel usage deserve some share of the blame.
Norm
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
There is the "nothing new in the automotive world" aspect in all this. It seems all this anti collision, brake light "whatever" has been done several times by various well intended individuals/companies. The high mounted brake light, 1930's, the pulsing brake light, 1940's, the amber deceleration light, 1950's, etc, etc. I had a neighbor that drove a '38 Buick with a system of red, green and, amber lights arranged across the rear window. Green, on the power. Red, brakes. Amber off the throttle... and that was in the mid 50's. I still see the dude on the BMW that has a pulsing brake light, faster the harder the application of brake. I have not seen any (thankfully) pulsing headlights lately, though.
I've mentioned that I live a few blocks from a high school and that means I get to see possibly a bit more troublesome driving/texting/phoning/horseplay/giggling inattentive driving habits. None of which would be mitigated even one tiny little bit by any of the "brake light solutions" spoken of in this thread. Hell, I nearly got creamed by a teen that was turned completely around facing the back seat!!!
Rod-----gettin' too old for this crap.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
"I have not seen any (thankfully) pulsing headlights lately, though."
There's some kind of bikes (BMW maybe? Others?) that have pulsing headlights. Very annoying. I'm sure the intent is to "enhance visibility", but there are times that I wonder if oncoming drivers wouldn't fixate on the pulsing light and plow right into them.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
I think all the pulsing motorcycle headlights are aftermarket addons.
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Benta.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
So far I've only managed to try out the ABS once and that was when a large hare ran out from the hedge at 5:45 a.m on a single track road. Just missed it, by a hare's breath (yes, I know that's not the actual saying, but ..).
There was no-one else stupid enough to be driving to work that early so there are no evidential reports from following drivers, to say if it did pulse, or not.
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
Regards
Pat
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RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
>hare's breath, or
>hair's breadth?
I just want to be sure to use an expression appropriate to its context...
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles
- Steve
RE: Pulsing brake lights on new vehicles