Interesting Pacifica feature

I was driving behind a Pacifica today and could not help but notice
that when the brakes were applied in the Pacifica, the high mounted
center rear brake light flashed instead of staying on steady. Seems
like a great idea. Anyone knows whether it is standard or did someone
add it to the car?

By the way I was driving my parents around in my 300M and I was
telling them about the terrific rear seat in my old 94 LHS which they
never saw. Started to wonder why the heck Chrysler made the 2nd
generation LHS with a big trunk instead of keeping the big rear seat
room of the original LHS. It was truely a unique design and with
better quality as they put into the 2nd generation, probably could
have been quite a success.

 

| I was driving behind a Pacifica today and could not help but notice
| that when the brakes were applied in the Pacifica, the high mounted
| center rear brake light flashed instead of staying on steady. Seems
| like a great idea. Anyone knows whether it is standard or did someone
| add it to the car?
|
| [SNIP]
|

Just what we need...flashing lights everywhere...NOT! How in the world will
emergency vehicles ever stand out with all this proliferation of lights from so
many sources? Heck, why not make the DRLs flash too...I'm sure that will add
to conspicuity as well! Or perhaps put strobes in the DRLs...everyone would
sure see them! My preference? Turn off all the voluminous and unnecessary
distracting lights everywhere!!!

 

Sorry but turn signal lights flash and it is not a big problem for the
world.

 

I have seen this feature on several different makes and models and I
don't think this is standard. One person I was able to ask about his
feature said it was installed from a JC Whitney catalogue order. His
was the best in that it flashed three times when the brakes were applied
and then stayed lit. Sort of got your attention without the constant
flashing which apparently, so some, will drive the world mad and make
emergency vehicles, which are larger than most cars, not stand out. It
is a shame that the sirens are obfuscated by the flashing lights as
well! LOL

Mark

 

As long as we have idiots driving around watching DVD players, talking on
cell phones, putting make-up on, shaving, doing their nails, wacking off and
generally doing everything but paying attention to what they are
doing---driving---I say anything go's to get their attention from anti
missle flares to a 12 gauge slug between their eyes.

 

Motorcycle DRL headlights flash.

Richard.

 

It's not only not standard, it's not legal and not safe.

Under Federal and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 (Lamps and
Reflective Devices), all brake lamps including the center high mount lamp
are required to burn steadily whenever the brakes are applied. They are
NOT permitted to flash. The only exception to this does not apply to the
center brake light: The left and right brake lights may be flashed to
serve the rear turn signal and rear hazard warning functions. The center
brake lamp may never legally be wired to flash.

But there are several CHMSL flasher kits on the aftermarket sold by those
who know nothing of proper signal design or legality, and figure a light
that flashes just *has* to be better than a light that doesn't. They make
all kinds of unsupported and unsupportable claims for improved safety, and
there are people who believe 'em.

There's been a proposal in Europe (from Germany) to flash the CHMSL under
extremely hard braking as a means of indicating "I'm not just slowing
down; I'm braking and I REALLY MEAN IT!" signal to following traffic. The
US and Canadian regulatory bodies have rejected it out of hand for exactly
the same reason the aftermarket CHMSL flashers are unsafe: We already have
flashing red lights on the backs of cars in North America. They mean the
driver is pumping his brakes OR signalling for a turn OR has activated the
hazard flashers. Adding yet another possible meaning for following drivers
to try and decode on the fly does NOT improve safety.

DS

 

No, motorcycle DRL headlights do not flash. FMVSS 108 and some states
allow motorcycle headlamp modulators that alternate between low and high
beam at a specified blink rate, but this is neither a requirement nor is
it universally permitted, and it is not proven to improve safety.

DS

 

Absolutely not.

Driver inattention is a real problem, but nonstandard lighting and
signalling is not the solution.

DS

 

Still illegal.

That's what the regular brake lights are for. If they are not capable of
getting your attention, pay more attention or get off the road.

DS

 

|
|There's been a proposal in Europe (from Germany) to flash the CHMSL under
|extremely hard braking as a means of indicating "I'm not just slowing
|down; I'm braking and I REALLY MEAN IT!" signal to following traffic.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Trigger it at the threashold of ABS

|US and Canadian regulatory bodies have rejected it out of hand for exactly
|the same reason the aftermarket CHMSL flashers are unsafe: We already have
|flashing red lights on the backs of cars in North America. They mean the
|driver is pumping his brakes

People with ABS (most current cars) don't pump brakes

| OR signalling for a turn OR has activated the
|hazard flashers.

Different lights, different location.

|Adding yet another possible meaning for following drivers
|to try and decode on the fly does NOT improve safety.

Adding information in a situation where reference points are few makes sense to
me. Often I'm at freeway speeds topping a rise to find a line of cars ahead of
me. Other than the rearmost car, usually the only light clearly visible in the
queued cars is the CHMSL. What I need to know is:

1 - are the cars moving or stopped
2a - If moving, how fast
2b - If moving, are they braking?
2b.1 If braking, how urgent is it? Are they just riding the brake or
avoiding collision?

Certainly in the latter case, there are clues like attitude of the vehicle and
whether some of the cars are attempting to dive for the shoulder. But if some of
those CHMSLs are flashing, I'd know the situation was avoidance very early in
the process.

If they can't differentiate between turn signals and a rapidly flashing
center-mounted light, they don't need to be driving.

My $.02, adjusted for inflation.

Rex in Fort Worth

 

It's a great idea outside North America, where there are presently no
flashing red lights on vehicles. It's a very poor idea in North America,
where many vehicles already have flashing red lights.

Sure they do. "Pumping" doesn't necessarily mean "trying to stop on slick
roads by rhythmically applying the brakes". In city traffic, it's very
common to see intermittent brake application that causes the brake lights
to flash.

Certainly, but the information must be presented in a clear and
unambiguous manner, and it must not interfere with the rapid and accurate
comprehension of any other information being conveyed by the rear light
system. For that reason, yet another flashing red rear light is
contraindicated.

DS

 

| Sorry but turn signal lights flash and it is not a big problem for the
| world.
|

...and that is what a flashing red light at the rear of the vehicle means,
signaling a turn OR a standing vehicle hazard (or a emergency vehicle). Since
the CHMSL can be seen several in a row due to their higher mounting heights the
sea of blinking lights before you would contribute to confusion of the scene in
my opinion since it wouldn't necessarily be clear as to what light on what
vehicle was blinking....especially on a dark unlit road at night. Are people
turning? Is there a emergency vehicle up there. Was there a accident up in
front. What a mess! Not a good idea.

 

Do you really want to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic with half a headache
already from a day at work and have to deal with every single car around you
flashing...flashing...flashing...flashing...? It would get real old real
quick...trust me. The Chinese know this method as one very well suited to
derive madness from any subject. A great idea to introduce for use on the
highway, don't you think? Drive everyone to madness!


| I have seen this feature on several different makes and models and I
| don't think this is standard. One person I was able to ask about his
| feature said it was installed from a JC Whitney catalogue order. His
| was the best in that it flashed three times when the brakes were applied
| and then stayed lit. Sort of got your attention without the constant
| flashing which apparently, so some, will drive the world mad and make
| emergency vehicles, which are larger than most cars, not stand out. It
| is a shame that the sirens are obfuscated by the flashing lights as
| well! LOL
|
| Mark
|
| Art Begun wrote:
| > I was driving behind a Pacifica today and could not help but notice
| > that when the brakes were applied in the Pacifica, the high mounted
| > center rear brake light flashed instead of staying on steady. Seems
| > like a great idea. Anyone knows whether it is standard or did someone
| > add it to the car?
| >
| > By the way I was driving my parents around in my 300M and I was
| > telling them about the terrific rear seat in my old 94 LHS which they
| > never saw. Started to wonder why the heck Chrysler made the 2nd
| > generation LHS with a big trunk instead of keeping the big rear seat
| > room of the original LHS. It was truely a unique design and with
| > better quality as they put into the 2nd generation, probably could
| > have been quite a success.
| >
| >
|

 

Signals flash at a slow rate. A highspeed pulsing "strobe effect"
under hard breaking would be VERY effective - particularly with LED
CHMSL.

 

Why not? Why not just make one light that flashes at different
intervals to mean different things; like flashing a Morse code "L"
for left, "R" for right and "B" for braking?
</sarcasm>

 

| Signals flash at a slow rate. A highspeed pulsing "strobe effect"
| under hard breaking would be VERY effective - particularly with LED
| CHMSL.

Cite the source of the studies that prove that claim please.

 

Sorry, no. This may be your guess, but it's a baseless one. There's not a
shred of evidence that even suggests this *might* be the case.

DS

 

Cop cars get whacked on the side of the road while conducting business with
all kinds of flashing lights because the driver didn't see them....why would
this be any more noticeable?

 

How about Voevodsky's Cyberlite and related studies in the San Francisco
taxi fleet?

- RWM