Smart brake light system tells you urgency of braking

[nist7]

The problem of brake lights not distinguishing between gingerly slowing down and rapidly stopping is now being addressed. Researchers at Virginia Tech University are developing smart brake lights. The intelligent braking lights will have a series of LEDs that will distinguish when someone is easing off the speed or slamming on the brakes. How the system works is surprisingly simple.

The bar of lights has three different levels of alert for the drivers behind. When the middle bars glow amber, the car is just slowing. After the braking passes a certain threshold, the outer edges of the bar will glow red in addition to the center amber. And if someone stands on the brakes, the entire bar will flash red. It's a pretty basic idea and could potentially prevent thousands of fender benders yearly.

The system has been in the works for eight years now, but it will finally be shown off at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville starting today.

A light bar like this would have to be added to your vehicle's existing brake lights due to laws and regulations. But with time, who knows? Maybe this system could completely replace the brake lights we currently know.

http://jalopnik.com/372915/pretty-so...le-lot-smarter

[anti-net]

I was thinking about how something like this would look on a 3200GT with thos boomerang rear-lights

[Vette Boss]

BMW already has a similar system to this. At first, just the outer bit of the brake light comes on for normal braking, the whole thing glows like a battlefield if the driver stands on the middle pedal.

I do think this is a very good idea. People need an easier way to determine how hard to stop.

[Prost264]

This is a terrific idea. When I was little I always wondered how you were supposed to know if someone tapped the breaks or they're trying to bring the world to a halt?

Very good idea, implement it right away!

[Speedtouch]

As it has been said on TG many times, if one person simply touches their brake pedals on the motorway, it can lead to huge tailbacks because of chain reactions.

This would be very useful, but the problem is, many people would not understand it. The governments would not pay for education to current drivers, or make it law. It is a great idea, but would take way too long to properly set in.

[IceBone]

Doesn't mercedes have a system like this already? Fully lit when braking normally, blinking if medium force, blinking fast if fully?

[Prost264]

of course it would take a while to get going, but if people said "oh this would take too long lets not do it" throughout history, a good amount of us wouldn't be here

I've noticed a couple times when people have had to slam on their brakes, they put their hazard lights on as well (now thats quick thinking)

[Beni]

Isn't there already a system which automatically switches on the hazard lights under heavy braking? I think there was a Golf on D-Motor with flashing lights during hard driving.

[Prost264]

The one time I specifically remember, it was a Ford Explorer. I'm confident it doesn't have a system like that.

I'm not saying VW doesn't, just saying I doubt the Explorer has it.

[Blind_Io]

I don't like it.

This system makes it impossible to "brake-check" an asswipe who is tailgating.

[essentialatom]

It's a good idea, all I can say is... how has it taken EIGHT YEARS to develop?

[bartboy9891]

Originally Posted by IceBone

Doesn't mercedes have a system like this already? Fully lit when braking normally, blinking if medium force, blinking fast if fully?

If they do, I like that system better. I don't see the need to introduce another color into the system. If the light is solid then just treat it the same way you normally would and be aware of the flashing red in an emergency.

[Ilpav]

I quite like the system where the lights start to blink if braking hard. Not this though. Wouldn't it ruin the looks of some cars?

[Wizegui]

It looks ugly. Why don't they just have a smart braking system where the intensity of the braking is judged by the brightness of the light. When your stomping on the brakes, then make it flash.

[NooDle]

This sort of thing already exists, when part of the taillights glow when under "normal" braking, and all of them glow under "full" braking

BMW has it, Mercedes has it and I think also a couple of Frenchies (Citroen?)

Don't like the amber though, brake lights should be red. Why not work with brightness, so the lights go from gentle wake me up red to blindingly bright emergency flashlight?

[KaJuN]

Originally Posted by Vette Boss

BMW already has a similar system to this. At first, just the outer bit of the brake light comes on for normal braking, the whole thing glows like a battlefield if the driver stands on the middle pedal.

When I press the brake pedal in my Discovery no less than 5 lights come on to announce the fact. It looks like a Christmas tree waiting at a traffic light.

Something else I've always thought was a good idea were having lights on the front of the car to show if the driver is slowing down. This would be particularly helpful when making left turns and having to wait until the light goes yellow to finally be able to turn. I hate not knowing if the car coming at me in the other lane is going to run the light or not.

[MXM]

This *could* be a good idea if it was universally adopted. Now every manufacturer comes up with its own genious idea and we end up with a dosen different systems, some of which flash, other light up in different colors etc. If anything this would only add confusion.

[Final Daihatsu]

It's KITT!

[IceBone]

It's TRIPOD ANTIHOTLINKING!

[No Boss]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

When I press the brake pedal in my Discovery no less than 5 lights come on to announce the fact. It looks like a Christmas tree waiting at a traffic light.

I always loved that about Discos. Like seriously if someone rear ends you after that, just shoot them.