This is truly not a cosmic issue, but this thread reminded me of something I was thinking the other day.
On more than one occasion recently I’ve slowed down to let a car out that was signalling to pull out from the side of the road - only to realise on getting closer that it actually had the hazard lights (four-way flashers) on instead.
I get the same problem when I’m cycling, and overtake a bus or lorry that has pulled in - I can see the indicator flashing on my side but is it still the hazard signal or is the bus about to pull out and squish me?
Surely, if people happily pay for countless cupholders and other needles fripperies, the car manufacturers could install an extra set of lights, maybe in a different colour, for hazard lights?
I assume the relevant laws would need to be changed, but it seems silly that the universal “hazard” symbol on parked cars appears to be “I am going to turn left… and also turn right!”
I’m not convinced hazard lights are used frequently enough to require a re-engineering of their design. Pretty much their best function is to tell people driving behind you; “hey, something’s up, I’m not going to be moving with the flow of traffic.”
The onus is on the vehicle attempting to enter traffic to do so at a safe and appropriate time. Slowing down is considerate and all, but they shouldn’t be impeding anybody anyways. Blinkers are nebulous suggestions of intent at best and blatant lies most of the time anyways, I don’t think adding an extra button would help much. If anything, just have the brake lights blip in counter-rhythm to the blinkers.
Personally I’d much rather see indicators to differentiate between hard, abrupt braking and lightly brushing the petal. A momentary strobe effect during the former, similar to what many emergency vehicles in the US already use, seems more useful to me.
I’d be much happier if manufacturers went back to making indicators/turn signals easily distinguishable from the other rear lights.
US-market cars (and it seems to be becoming endemic elsewhere) have long used red indicators in the back, which makes it really hard to tell whether they’re signalling or braking or what.
I don’t think it is “becoming endemic” anywhere. In fact from what I can tell, more and more car manufacturers have moved to using amber indicators (which are reuired almost everywhere other than North America) across the board, so they don’t have to make two variants.
Tubes - I have seen the system you describe, where the brake lights come on brighter with harder braking. I think but am not sure that it is in some production cars already but I can’t find a cite quickly. A lot of cars nowadays trigger the hazard lights if you brake hard enough to activate the ABS.
Colophon’s observation notwithstanding … A-fricking-men! Red turn signals make me unreasonably cross. Red = stop, Amber = Hazard. Unless you’re planning on locking up the wheels on the left side of your car to make a left turn, it might be more appropriate to say, “Hey Bozo, something dangerous is about to happen to my left: ME!”
Well, thank God for that. I’ve only driven in Britain (where of course amber lights are required) and the US and Middle East (where they aren’t).
The new Mercedes S-Class flashes its brakelights under heavy braking; perhaps that’s what you’re thinking of? They did studies showing that following drivers are more likely to notice them when they flash.
I’m in the western US and most casts I see use amber or yellow blinkers. Red isn’t unheard of but I’d say it’s getting less common, as has been mentioned.
Having seen that Mercedes model in action I’m frankly not all that impressed. Driving behind one for a while, the “urgent” flashing brake lights came up the vast majority of the time, even during ordinary driving. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, though - I just fear that, like ABS, reliance on new safety systems will ironically make drivers more aggressive.
What I’d really like to see is a sweeping relaxation of driving laws but a sharp increase of enforcement. Currently it’s impossible to use the road systems both legally and efficiently. But that’s a hijack and another thread.