3rd Light Benefits?

They benefit light bulb makers who sell more light bulbs!!

Whatever the statistics say, at night and over a certain distance I enjoy being better able to distinguish braking cars with that additional third light.

I can't speak for the nation at large, but at night, they certainly do help me.

~DJ

They did until SUVs came along. Now I can't see anything up ahead.

It's been 20 years in the US!

I think it would be hard to disaggregate the accident data and attribute anything good or bad to the third brake lights. Too many factors are at play. But I still think they're a good idea. They're not expensive.

I notice when they are out, which is a sign that I am subconsciously looking at them or for them.

Tom

I'm starting to love wikipedia!

So it's been 19 years. So I lied.

Tom

Tom Reingold wrote in news:3j2nrgFo52d1U1 @individual.net:

I recall an auto journalist suggesting we need a brake light on the front of the car! Sounds strange but he suggesting it would be great to know if oncoming traffic is going to run a light (especially if you are turning left) as well as for pedestrians to see if a car is slowing down for them.

Hmm, my '91 Jeep doesn't have them. So they couldn't have been required.

Ah, I just looked it up and light trucks didn't need them til '94.

So the novelty aspect of it wore off and now gives only a 5% benefit.

OK, shoulda looked it up in wikipedia. Thanks.

Al

I've thought of things like this. Back in the 70's, Popular Science said they (or someone) did an experiment where the brake lights would flash, and the speed would depend on how hard you were braking. The experiment showed that people following the flashing brake lights seemed to understand what they meant and reacted accordingly.

I've thought about having an indicator on the back of my car that indicated what gear I'm in, so people would be understanding if I wasn't accelerating fast.

But I think we risk overloading drivers with too much information.

What would I do with a front brake light? It's not my job to avoid being rear-ended. That's the job of the person following me.

There is a very fun web site for half-baked ideas:

Tom

What I'd like is an LCD signboard in my rear window that flashes messages to tailgaters...Even cooler if it could allow a selection from various prepared messages, ranging from a polite "Too Close" to "BACK OFF" and up, depending on the rudeness and persistence of the tailgater...

I know that these are available for motorcycles. I don't know about cars.

That's easy to say if you're in a big safe car. I make it my business to avoid being rear ended when I'm out riding my motorcycle. When being rear-ended can be a life and death situation, you start to really CARE what the car behind you is doing. Whether or not it is LEGALLY my fault, it is in my best interests to take appropriate action. I'm not sure I'd trust a front mounted brake light though...

Look here:

You kids nowdays... You always go for the obvious.

Look here to see how we did it in the old days:

Thanks for hunting down and bringing that link into the forum, it was an interesting read.

...and I assume that the above can also be applied outside of the US.

Thanks, that answers my question.

Al

Good point. I do my best to respect motorcycle riders, because I know too few car drivers do. I make sure to follow them with a great distance between us, and I let them go ahead of me whenever they want to pass. They don't hinder me, so why not? And they (you) are more vulnerable.

Tom

The idea of a lighted sign in the back of a car with varying messages is appealing. It's been shot down many times on

but I don't remember why. I think I'd like to have one. I might load it up with about a dozen ready-made messages. Tom

Pros are it's simple and highly effective. But it can't be targeted precisely enough to ensure that only the perpetrator is brought to justice. The risk of hitting an innocent is just too high.

A small paintball gun would also be nice, if I could figure out how to mount it.

JC Whitney's carried them for several years.