Uni Project: Feedback Required from FGers

salguod

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
681
Hi everyone,

As about a handful of you on here know, I?m at University doing Product Design. We have just started doing a project for the D&AD student awards (www.dandad.org/studentawards), and the brief which I have chosen to do was set and sponsored by Michelin, and I could do with some help from you lot, if you are able to, by answering some questions for my research. I?ve contacted the RAC and the AA with some questions but they were based mainly on their field of expertise on the subject.

The Brief: Create a unique product for MICHELIN that will provide real life assistance to high risk motorists in a roadside emergency situation.

It does say later on that a secondary use of the product may be by the wider motoring public, so I am not saying for one minute that everyone here is a high risk motorist, but getting an idea of what general motorists or even those who don?t drive think is important for what I am doing. I?m focussing mainly on breakdowns at the moment and not accidents hence why the questions are breakdown orientated

I know the questions are in a bit of a muddled state and probably repeat themselves in places, but I?m attempting at being thorough and not leaving any stone unturned.

The questions:

1. Would you agree that high risk motorists tend to be either, the elderly, the disabled or families with children? Is there any other type of driver you would add to this list?

2. What additional advice would you give to high risk motorists on top advice which is already given when a breakdown occurs?

3. To what extent would most of the breakdowns which are experienced be deemed repairable by the driver themselves by the roadside if the situation was safe enough for them to do so? Additionally, what are the most common calls for assistance for?

4. What item would you consider to be most important to a driver when they experience a breakdown, excluding a mobile telephone?

5. If a new product was to be created for use by drivers to either prevent a breakdown, or for use once they have broken down, what would the features of the product be and would it encourage or help the driver to fix the problem themselves by the roadside (if the situation was safe enough)?

6. Modern cars do not easily allow for their owner to personally mend it if it breaks down. Would you say this has increased dependance on breakdown assistance? Does this increase the difficulty for your employees who have to work on the cars by the roadside, and if so how much has it increased it by over the years?

7.Is basic car maintenance adequately taught when young people are learning to drive? If not, what could be improved and what do young drivers seem to get wrong most of the time?

8.Have you personally experienced a breakdown in a car or other vehicle? Was any part of it traumatic? Were you personally able to rectify the problem or did you need to call a breakdown service?

9.When you see the words ?roadside emergency? what sort of scenario do you think of? Do you think High risk motorists are capable of dealing with scenarios you have thought of to the same degree as that of the wider motoring audience?


Thanks, in advance for your help, and plus rep to those who do, if I remember.
 
1. Would you agree that high risk motorists tend to be either, the elderly, the disabled or families with children? Is there any other type of driver you would add to this list?
All of the above, anyone who has any form of additional risk factor over and above normal drivers.

2. What additional advice would you give to high risk motorists on top advice which is already given when a breakdown occurs?
Carry a mobile phone all the time. Try to make vehicle as high viz and obviously broken down as possible.

3. To what extent would most of the breakdowns which are experienced be deemed repairable by the driver themselves by the roadside if the situation was safe enough for them to do so? Additionally, what are the most common calls for assistance for?
Very few repairs could be done by the high risk category - under-bonnet issues and typically too complex for Mr/Mrs/Ms average now cars themselves are so complex.

4. What item would you consider to be most important to a driver when they experience a breakdown, excluding a mobile telephone?
High Viz and illumination for night time - but not such that it dazzels others.

5. If a new product was to be created for use by drivers to either prevent a breakdown, or for use once they have broken down, what would the features of the product be and would it encourage or help the driver to fix the problem themselves by the roadside (if the situation was safe enough)?
Tyres can be done but that is about the only thing these days - however the high risk group need help rather.

6. Modern cars do not easily allow for their owner to personally mend it if it breaks down. Would you say this has increased dependance on breakdown assistance? Does this increase the difficulty for your employees who have to work on the cars by the roadside, and if so how much has it increased it by over the years?
6.1 Yes
6.2 Yes - it is now virtually impossible to get running again most problems are to do with complex electrics - oh swapping out fuses can be done by Ms average with clear instructions.

7.Is basic car maintenance adequately taught when young people are learning to drive? If not, what could be improved and what do young drivers seem to get wrong most of the time?
No - about the only things that could be taught - Changing tyres, fuses, changing oils and looking at and understanding the instruments in the cabin.

8.Have you personally experienced a breakdown in a car or other vehicle? Was any part of it traumatic? Were you personally able to rectify the problem or did you need to call a breakdown service?
Yes, no, some times yes mostly recently no - need breakdown assistance, we have very good coverage - Green Flag, RAC, and the AA.

9.When you see the words ?roadside emergency? what sort of scenario do you think of? Do you think High risk motorists are capable of dealing with scenarios you have thought of to the same degree as that of the wider motoring audience?
I prepare for anything, slow down and give the scene as wide a birth as is commensurate with the rules of the road. Difficult to say for the second part.
\
 
Thanks for the response. Appreciate you taking the time to reply. +rep to you good sir.
 
i have put the answers in bold for easier reading, hope it helps! the italics for answer to question 1 is just further elaboration as to why i say my answer.

1. Would you agree that high risk motorists tend to be either, the elderly, the disabled or families with children? Is there any other type of driver you would add to this list?
All of the above, but teenagers/young drivers (a particular group of people in all societies) that tend towards reckless driving habits such as speeding, doing burnouts and not regarding the safety for other road users.

[I say this cause i've recently been doing a mock campaign for road safety in a communication course regarding reckless driving amongst teenage/young drivers. I am not saying all teenage drivers are reckless, but there will always be a part of the demographic that does this kind of stuff, example bankstown/blacktown teenagers in the sydney city circle area]

2. What additional advice would you give to high risk motorists on top advice which is already given when a breakdown occurs?
I would say put up a high visibility reflective sign which some cars provide, so that other motorists will see and avoid. And stay away from the main parts of the road..?

3. To what extent would most of the breakdowns which are experienced be deemed repairable by the driver themselves by the roadside if the situation was safe enough for them to do so? Additionally, what are the most common calls for assistance for?
Typical tyre changes - changing a flat tyre, and possibly letting an overheating engine take rest. the rest such as oil pressure issues or issues which can not be solved without help from a mechanic or tools should be called for assistance. (don't know most common calls though.)

4. What item would you consider to be most important to a driver when they experience a breakdown, excluding a mobile telephone?
High visibility equipment to warn other road users.

5. If a new product was to be created for use by drivers to either prevent a breakdown, or for use once they have broken down, what would the features of the product be and would it encourage or help the driver to fix the problem themselves by the roadside (if the situation was safe enough)?
Possibly a small diagnostic tool that gives a very basic and easy to understand message of what part of the car is broken down. eg: engine overheated, problem with the oil (not gasoline, the other oil - engine oil?, i don't know how to say it) or broken spark plug? flat tyre may be harder to say though. this is so the driver can understand which part of the car has broken down and immediately take a decision on whether they can fix it themselves. also helps the driver in consulting the mechanic about the problem as the problem is identified. possibly not possible for older cars due to the significantly less reliance on electronics to aid or get the car to work.

6. Modern cars do not easily allow for their owner to personally mend it if it breaks down. Would you say this has increased dependance on breakdown assistance? Does this increase the difficulty for your employees who have to work on the cars by the roadside, and if so how much has it increased it by over the years?
increased dependance on breakdown assistance, yes definitely. this is due to the concern for emission requirements which adds on parts to the car which are not easily understood by the typical driver to work around/on them when it breaks down. these tools also cause the engine design to become complex making it harder to perform simpler tasks - of course, this depends on which engine from which manufacturer. but all in all, due to new technology and emission requirements, working on a car engine is not as easy as before for the average joe.

7.Is basic car maintenance adequately taught when young people are learning to drive? If not, what could be improved and what do young drivers seem to get wrong most of the time?
i would say possibly not? even though the car manual may be clear in words, it may be more easier when young people are taught first hand or given photo/video aid for these processes. it might be nice if the manufacturers gave the owners a small lecture on basic maintenance. this would aid in relationship between the manufacturer/dealership as well as letting them know that there is someone to trust when a problem comes up. however, they may also have learnt from online tutorials/walkthroughs but these people may only be a minority.

8.Have you personally experienced a breakdown in a car or other vehicle? Was any part of it traumatic? Were you personally able to rectify the problem or did you need to call a breakdown service?
No i have not yet experienced such issues due to not yet having owned a vehicle yet.:( (although i hope it will be a rewarding experience when it happens, instead of a troublesome one.)

9.When you see the words ?roadside emergency? what sort of scenario do you think of? Do you think High risk motorists are capable of dealing with scenarios you have thought of to the same degree as that of the wider motoring audience?
when roadside emergency emerges, i would consider road crashes or traffic accidents, not really a typical car breakdown. High risk motorists would probably need help with these scenarios for sure.
 
1. Would you agree that high risk motorists tend to be either, the elderly, the disabled or families with children? Is there any other type of driver you would add to this list?

The elderly are annoying, but not that dangerous so NO, I never realy noticed someone was disabled by his/her driving so NO to that aswell, Families with children : definate YES, rugrats tearing up the backseat = soccermom about to do something stupid, bank on it.
Other types of high risk driver : youths, especialy the ones in riced cars.



2. What additional advice would you give to high risk motorists on top advice which is already given when a breakdown occurs?

Nothing realy.

3. To what extent would most of the breakdowns which are experienced be deemed repairable by the driver themselves by the roadside if the situation was safe enough for them to do so? Additionally, what are the most common calls for assistance for?

I think most modern cars arent realy that patchable when they realy break down, as they are mostly electronic/to complex for roadside repair issues, however most things qualified as a breakdowns would be flats I believe, that is something everyone should be able to fix.

4. What item would you consider to be most important to a driver when they experience a breakdown, excluding a mobile telephone?

A proper jack.

5. If a new product was to be created for use by drivers to either prevent a breakdown, or for use once they have broken down, what would the features of the product be and would it encourage or help the driver to fix the problem themselves by the roadside (if the situation was safe enough)?

Depends on what the product is, I would say anything that makes it easier for the driver to fix something themselves would be helpful obviously.

6. Modern cars do not easily allow for their owner to personally mend it if it breaks down. Would you say this has increased dependance on breakdown assistance? Does this increase the difficulty for your employees who have to work on the cars by the roadside, and if so how much has it increased it by over the years?

I have no employees, exept my dog, but I can imagine it getting harder all the time with cars getting overly complex.

7.Is basic car maintenance adequately taught when young people are learning to drive? If not, what could be improved and what do young drivers seem to get wrong most of the time?

NO, half the kids under 25 I know hardly know what engine oil is, let alone what it does.

8.Have you personally experienced a breakdown in a car or other vehicle? Was any part of it traumatic? Were you personally able to rectify the problem or did you need to call a breakdown service?

Yes, and no it was not traumatic.......it's crap that happens, it sucks, but nobody died, I was always able to rectify the situation myself in several cases, another case demanded a tow, since I did not have my foldup pocket towtruck handy, I called assistance

9.When you see the words ?roadside emergency? what sort of scenario do you think of? Do you think High risk motorists are capable of dealing with scenarios you have thought of to the same degree as that of the wider motoring audience?

Emergency means just that, a situation were someones life and safety is in danger, ergo an accident . A flat is not an emergency, a dead battery isen't either.
I can imagine high risk groups having more problems dealing with either situation yes.
 
Last edited:
The questions:

1. Would you agree that high risk motorists tend to be either, the elderly, the disabled or families with children? Is there any other type of driver you would add to this list?
Agree, but I would add young drivers (teens->early 20s) to the list.


2. What additional advice would you give to high risk motorists on top advice which is already given when a breakdown occurs?

Nothing comes to mind.

3. To what extent would most of the breakdowns which are experienced be deemed repairable by the driver themselves by the roadside if the situation was safe enough for them to do so? Additionally, what are the most common calls for assistance for?
Not that many of them, I'd guess. Modern cars are built reliable enough that when something breaks, it requires major attention.

4. What item would you consider to be most important to a driver when they experience a breakdown, excluding a mobile telephone?

A way to look up new phone numbers : insurance, police, mechanics, relatives.

5. If a new product was to be created for use by drivers to either prevent a breakdown, or for use once they have broken down, what would the features of the product be and would it encourage or help the driver to fix the problem themselves by the roadside (if the situation was safe enough)?

Not in most cases. People lack either the skill or the desire mostly.

6. Modern cars do not easily allow for their owner to personally mend it if it breaks down. Would you say this has increased dependance on breakdown assistance? Does this increase the difficulty for your employees who have to work on the cars by the roadside, and if so how much has it increased it by over the years?
Yes.

7.Is basic car maintenance adequately taught when young people are learning to drive? If not, what could be improved and what do young drivers seem to get wrong most of the time?
No. It isn't really described in driver training courses.


8.Have you personally experienced a breakdown in a car or other vehicle? Was any part of it traumatic? Were you personally able to rectify the problem or did you need to call a breakdown service?
Yes, but it was not traumatic. The issue was diagnosed by me (radiator hose damaged) but a breakdown service was needed to rectify the issue.


9.When you see the words ?roadside emergency? what sort of scenario do you think of? Do you think High risk motorists are capable of dealing with scenarios you have thought of to the same degree as that of the wider motoring audience?
A large accident involving necessary medical support. High risk motorists and motorists in general aren't really equipped to deal with such problems in general.
 
The questions:

1. Would you agree that high risk motorists tend to be either, the elderly, the disabled or families with children? Is there any other type of driver you would add to this list?

In order of increasing risk: disabled (who really shouldn't be driving themselves anyways), elderly, families with children, teenage bracket. I'm also tempted to put drivers of expensive SUVs with horrible blind spots and a "bigger-than-thou" attitude, but that may be a bit of a stereotype, altho nobody said stereotypes weren't true.

2. What additional advice would you give to high risk motorists on top advice which is already given when a breakdown occurs?

Get off the road, IMMEDIATELY. Nothing ruins everybody else's day more than a broken down vehicle in the center lane, it will cause traffic and/or further accidents. Also, if you have any doubt in your ability to determine the problem yourself, please call assistance or a friend.

3. To what extent would most of the breakdowns which are experienced be deemed repairable by the driver themselves by the roadside if the situation was safe enough for them to do so? Additionally, what are the most common calls for assistance for?

Normal basic stuff: flat tire, coolant, etc. Anything else and you're looking at taking it to a garage.

4. What item would you consider to be most important to a driver when they experience a breakdown, excluding a mobile telephone?

A bright, rechargable flashlight.

5. If a new product was to be created for use by drivers to either prevent a breakdown, or for use once they have broken down, what would the features of the product be and would it encourage or help the driver to fix the problem themselves by the roadside (if the situation was safe enough)?

That's a very broad question. I would say some kind of OnStar-eqse smartphone app for basic troubleshooting and live-person assistance, but I see that OnStar is already working on that. Maybe a location-based service app to determine and compare prices on the nearest mechanic/tow service/etc.

6. Modern cars do not easily allow for their owner to personally mend it if it breaks down. Would you say this has increased dependance on breakdown assistance? Does this increase the difficulty for your employees who have to work on the cars by the roadside, and if so how much has it increased it by over the years?

Very much so. Cars have become almost mind-boggingly complex in the name of efficiency, comfort, and satisfying the never-ending desires of the customer, when in reality all you really need is a chassis, four wheels, an IC and a transmission in many cases. It also puts pressure on the designers/engineers to push a product out that may not be tested properly for quality assurance or durability, causing more problems down the road. Government oversight and beauracracy do not help matters much either. We should look into rethinking as a whole what role the automobile plays in our lives and our responsibility for it's ownership beyond the usual driving A-B (and taking it to mechanic when something goes wrong). Of course that's never going to happen in our consumerist and PC society.

7.Is basic car maintenance adequately taught when young people are learning to drive? If not, what could be improved and what do young drivers seem to get wrong most of the time?

In the majority of cases, probably not very well, in neither the home or the academics. Auto shop classes are disappearing faster than ever in public education due to a perceived need to move toward a more technical (read: computers) curriculum, and many fathers (I use the term loosely as I'm sure there are many knowledgeable women out there) neither have the time nor knowledge to teach their sons/daughters the proper responsibility it takes to operate and own a vehicle. What can be done about it? Honestly, not much that I can see. Government funds for public education would rather not be allocated for "lower" curriculum such as auto-repair, instead shifting toward more technically-oriented. Automobile companies don't really see an incentive to teach people how to fix their own car problems as that be perceived would be detrimental to their revenue from service/repair. It'll probably have to be some sort of grassroots movement/organization, possibly from something like SCCA, to overcome the perceived notion that auto/repair and caring, tinkering, and generally understanding what you own is a "lesser" skill/profession in this increasingly consumerist, outsourced, and fragmented society.

8.Have you personally experienced a breakdown in a car or other vehicle? Was any part of it traumatic? Were you personally able to rectify the problem or did you need to call a breakdown service?

Nothing major that a change of tires or stopping awhile by the road couldn't fix. Sorry if that sounds boring.

9.When you see the words ?roadside emergency? what sort of scenario do you think of? Do you think High risk motorists are capable of dealing with scenarios you have thought of to the same degree as that of the wider motoring audience?

Either a breakdown or an accident that prevents the vehicle from doing what it's intended to do. No, generally high risk motorists are not up-to-par with dealing with most situations, altho there are exceptions. But I guess that's what AAA/OnStar is for.

Thanks, in advance for your help, and plus rep to those who do, if I remember.

Yup, sorry if this got a little too political.
 
Last edited:
1. Speaking about who faces the most problems in case of breakdowns, yes. Speaking of people at higher risk of mechanical breakdown, I'd rule out the disabled and family with children. They ususally take care of their cars as much as any other.

2. Make yourself visible. Always have a mobile phone and the correct numbers to get road assistance at hand.

3. Speaking of those high-risk categories, almost nothing. Maybe some fuses if the fuse box is easily reachable and with a thorough explanation by phone, or some emergency refrigerating fluid adding, again with phone support and if the bonnet is not too difficult to open.

4. High-visibility Jacket and triangle, road assistance phone numbers.

5. Preventing is best than curing, so something that could help check the status of the car (maybe listing what needs to be checked), or that can actively remind people what to do to avoid breakdowns -before- getting behind the steering wheel.

6. Yes, modern cars are much more dependant on professional assistance in pretty much every aspect. Even the tires have become heavy and bulky, and engines are now a complete riddle of touchy electronics.

7. (THIS ANSWER MAY BE COUNTRY-RELATED) It has not even started to be adequately taught. And I'm trying to be fair and balanced. Young drivers don't have a clue about anything in their car. They don't know what is what, how the car works in the first place, the most modern engine they see during the driving courses are from the early 1960ies and they have no idea about what to take care of, how to make the simplest maintenance intervention and what can happen to a badly-maintained car. Oh, and snow-chains need to be taught.

8. Yes. Dead battery and punctured tires. Yes, it can be traumatic to discover that changing a tire -can- be very complicated and that you need to be at least two people with some free road to start a car with a dead battery. Yes, I was able to change a tire by myself and start a diesel car with a friend's help. I can also change fuses, add oil or cooling liquid, and jump-start another car, not much more without tools or time or spare parts. So, when I was alone with a dead battery, I needed to call for help.

9. I imagine a driver stopped on the roadside with hazard lights on and unable to start their engine again, or a blown tire or boiling coolant, or no more fuel. In any of these cases, I don't think a high-risk motorist is capable of solving the problem alone, except maybe the coolant.
 
Right, thanks guys for the feedback for that.

I now have something else I would like feedback on from the same project. After having to get 100 ideas on the research we got for a product which would help or aid high risk road users in a roadside emergency situation, I have it narrowed down to 3.

What I would like to ask, is in your opinion, as a motorist (not necessarily a high risk motorist), which of the following ideas would you see to be most beneficial or useful to you or a high risk motorist if you had an accident or a break down at the side of the road. I apologise in advance for the shoddiness of the sketches, we did not have a lot of time for this.


IDEA 1:
Essentially, a flag or a flap which is located on the inside of the boot. When needed, the boot is opened, and the flap pulled down. LED's flash in time with the hazard warning lights on the car, making it more visible.
5362bb37bc2b471ca7e1bbbed21813cc_7.jpg



IDEA 2:
A roof located flag/warning sign made of high visibility material. This should make the car more visible on country roads where the road may be bumpier.
4fcfdff2bdac44a9ad186a96181b8232_7.jpg


IDEA 3:
An emergency kit which is attached to the headlining of the car, so you can easily reach a first aid kit, or wheel wrench if the boot is filled with luggage.
46407b05c27a4275bc7ba1ae37c6bbc8_7.jpg



Thanks in advance.

Salguod
 
Idea 3 is good, but I would not put that in the roof lining inside the car itself as they could become hazardous projectiles in a crash.
Attaching them on the inside of the boot lid might be a better place.

Idea 1 and 2 are nice, I like idea 1 in particular, however ideally you would warn other drivers before you get to the broken down vehicle.
Standard emergency triangles would do this a bit better, especially in a hilly area.
If you had a car broken down at the bottom of a hill, you would place triangles at the top in order to warn other drivers.
However I think your idea would work as an addition to emergency triangles.

Some sort of inter vehicle emergency warning system might be an improvement over emergency triangles.
Perhaps a system that would broadcast a warning on RDS to give warning that your car is broken down.
 
Sorry I don't have time to answer completely here at work, but there's one thing that I'm not sure is leading to confusion: in question 1, what is meant by "disabled?" Mental handicap vs. physical handicap makes a big difference in dangers of driving.
 
Idea 1 : Exellent! Only things I would change is to NOT have the leds blinking together with the hazards but seperatly at a faster rythem, It would be more noticable, and give it its own power suply in case the carbattery is dead.

Idea 2 : It's not gonna hurt, but that would need to be a realy tall flag to realy see it behind a hill no? not realy sure on this one.

Idea 3 : on the roofliner is a bad idea, you will end up with tyre irons falling on your head :p, under the bootlid (maybee the back of idea 1?) would be an exellent place though.
 
Idea 1 and 2 are nice, I like idea 1 in particular, however ideally you would warn other drivers before you get to the broken down vehicle.
Standard emergency triangles would do this a bit better, especially in a hilly area.

Idea 1 is good, but some cars have something similar already - a warning triangle built in to the boot lid.

If it had LEDs, or automatically started flashing (orange lights?) when the special flap was released, that would be useful. A separate battery power supply would be handy too (incase the breakdown was battery-related).
 
Cheers all, it's looking like idea 1, is the most popular at the time being, from everywhere that I have asked.

Idea 3 is good, but I would not put that in the roof lining inside the car itself as they could become hazardous projectiles in a crash.
Attaching them on the inside of the boot lid might be a better place.

Idea 1 and 2 are nice, I like idea 1 in particular, however ideally you would warn other drivers before you get to the broken down vehicle.
Standard emergency triangles would do this a bit better, especially in a hilly area.
If you had a car broken down at the bottom of a hill, you would place triangles at the top in order to warn other drivers.
However I think your idea would work as an addition to emergency triangles.

Some sort of inter vehicle emergency warning system might be an improvement over emergency triangles.
Perhaps a system that would broadcast a warning on RDS to give warning that your car is broken down.

There were a good few ideas which were inter-car warning systems but due to the timescale we have for this project, and our general ability (read that as, we aren't taught very much about anything on this course), it would not have been possible to achieve in that time.

Idea 1 was more for if you were stopped on a motorway, where putting a triangle out is not advised. Also retrieving the triangle is a problem for some, there has been a few times that I've passed a triangle on the road expecting something but there was nothing.

Sorry I don't have time to answer completely here at work, but there's one thing that I'm not sure is leading to confusion: in question 1, what is meant by "disabled?" Mental handicap vs. physical handicap makes a big difference in dangers of driving.

It would be more physical disability, such as wheelchair user. I'm not sure what the laws are regarding mental disabilities and driving but I don't think there are many if at all. The questions are not needed to be answered now, but thanks anyway.

Idea 1 : Exellent! Only things I would change is to NOT have the leds blinking together with the hazards but seperatly at a faster rythem, It would be more noticable, and give it its own power suply in case the carbattery is dead.

Idea 2 : It's not gonna hurt, but that would need to be a realy tall flag to realy see it behind a hill no? not realy sure on this one.

Idea 3 : on the roofliner is a bad idea, you will end up with tyre irons falling on your head :p, under the bootlid (maybee the back of idea 1?) would be an exellent place though.

I was thinking for Idea 1 that it could possibly be programmable? Have it set to blink at different rates, or on solid. That could easily be mocked up in a prototype to get it tested. The thinking behind the second one was that if you were on a road which had hidden dips, but I never thought it was as strong an idea as the first one.

teeb said:
Idea 1 is good, but some cars have something similar already - a warning triangle built in to the boot lid.

If it had LEDs, or automatically started flashing (orange lights?) when the special flap was released, that would be useful. A separate battery power supply would be handy too (incase the breakdown was battery-related).

Can't remember recently seeing any car with a triangle in the boot lid, but from what I can remember, they weren't that big and only really suit saloons, and not really hatchbacks.

General comment about the last one, if I did take that one forward and develop it further, it wouldn't be open like that, everything would be enclosed so if you were involved in an accident, they would stay in place. However one of the things that has been mentioned to me a few times is, what if it fell down by itself? There isn't really any way it could be safely attached to the roof lining without damaging it in some way.
 
Idea 1 is good, but would work better if it was used in conjunction with an advance warning device (such as the triangle ESPNSTI mentioned). His inter vehicle warning system is a great idea, although at this point in time costly and not really feasible. I dont think Idea 2 is very good. Idea 3 is ok, though dunno about the rooflining. There could be a compartment in the boot or under the rear seats where such items could be stored.
 
I was thinking for Idea 1 that it could possibly be programmable? Have it set to blink at different rates, or on solid. That could easily be mocked up in a prototype to get it tested. The thinking behind the second one was that if you were on a road which had hidden dips, but I never thought it was as strong an idea as the first one.

Yeah, that was basicaly what I ment, howbout a smaller version of something like this? They are already available in all sorts of sizes and can be set to blink in all sorts of ways, and you need to be blind not to notice them, especialy at night.

Can%27t%20remember%20recently%20seeing%20any%20car%20with%20a%20triangle%20in%20the%20boot%20lid,%20but%20from%20what%20I%20can%20remember,%20they%20weren%27t%20that%20big%20and%20only%20really%20suit%20saloons,%20and%20not%20really%20hatchbacks.%20%20General%20comment%20about%20the%20last%20one,%20if%20I%20did%20take%20that%20one%20forward%20and%20develop%20it%20further,%20it%20wouldn%27t%20be%20open%20like%20that,%20everything%20would%20be%20enclosed%20so%20if%20you%20were%20involved%20in%20an%20accident,%20they%20would%20stay%20in%20place.%20However%20one%20of%20the%20things%20that%20has%20been%20mentioned%20to%20me%20a%20few%20times%20is,%20what%20if%20it%20fell%20down%20by%20itself
New-Streamlined-Ultra-LED-Lightbar-TBD-8C950-.jpg
 
Top