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from the fake-engine-noises-FTW-Vrrrm-Vrrrm! dept.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the rule was needed because battery-powered vehicles are very quiet.
It said the rule would particularly help blind pedestrians, or those with a visual impairment, detect electric cars and hybrids on the road.
The new safety rule could help prevent 2,400 injuries a year, said the NHTSA.
The rule demands that the cars make a noise when travelling either forwards or backwards at speeds of less than 30kmh (19mph). The regulation covers vehicles with four wheels that weigh less than 10,000 pounds (4.5 tonnes).
The safety specification requires car makers to use a two-tone signal similar to that currently emitted by heavy vehicles when they are reversing.
It would be more fun if drivers could customize what that sound is, such as "La Cucaracha" or the whine of a Shadow vessel.
Electric and hybrid cars are to include a noise generation device for travel at low speeds with no internal combustion engine: http://www.nhtsa.gov/About-NHTSA/Press-Releases/nhtsa_quiet_car_final_rule_11142016.
There goes my quiet electric future.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday November 16 2016, @04:42PM
That flashing bus light is even more annoying than the newer brake lights these days that blink 3-5 times every time they apply the brakes. Which are lot of fun in stop-and-go traffic.
We don't need *more* distractions while driving. I can already see you're braking without you constantly shouting "HEY I'M BRAKING AGAIN!"
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by Kilo110 on Wednesday November 16 2016, @04:48PM
"the newer brake lights these days that blink 3-5 times every time they apply the brakes."
Is that what that is? I've noticed that and just assumed the tail light was faulty.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday November 16 2016, @05:15PM
I think it's different than the super-fast turn signal blink that means your turn signal is faulty. After a quick search it looks like people sell aftermarket kits for installing the flashing brake light.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by CoolHand on Wednesday November 16 2016, @07:30PM
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 2) by iamjacksusername on Thursday November 17 2016, @12:26AM
It is to indicate how hard the vehicle is breaking. If the breaklight flashes, the driver is stomping on the breaks. I drive a lot at night and I do appreciate knowing the driver in front of me is stopping short because that can be difficult to tell at times. However, it certainly adds to the cacophony of lights and sounds. I mentioned in another comment that I would like to see more attention paid to reducing the overall amount of information drivers must handle.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 16 2016, @05:13PM
If you can't deal with a few blinky lights, you have no business being on this website.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @02:03AM
SN gives me my daily dose of high-contrast flashing GIFs and loud autoplaying video loops.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @04:22AM
ACHTUNG! Alles touristen und non-technischen peepers!
Das machine control is nicht fur gerfinger-poken und
mittengrabben. Oderwise is easy schnappen der springenwerk,
blowen fuse, und poppencorken mit spitzensparken.
Der machine is diggen by experten only. Is nicht fur
geverken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseenen
keepen das cotten picken hands in das pockets,
so relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.
(Score: 1) by jIyajbe on Thursday November 17 2016, @09:21AM
Oh man, I haven't seen this in twenty years! Thanks for the blast from the past!
"Don't blame the log for the fire." --Andrew Ratshin
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Wednesday November 16 2016, @05:27PM
I have missed a car slowing ahead of me at highway speeds (due to large follow distance and lack of depth perception). My passenger pointed it out in plenty of time though.
Blinking lights may help in that edge-case.
I wonder if there is more than one blink pattern.
The local firetrucks have lights that blink like 3 times in less than a a second and then stay on. I think some cars may have some that briefly blink off every few seconds while at a stop light.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 16 2016, @06:38PM
Blinking lights might make sense for when a person takes their foot off the accelerator but before applying brake, or after applying brake but before stepping on the accelerator. But even that is only useful in huge vehicles that will tend to slow down rather fast when not accelerating.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Wednesday November 16 2016, @10:11PM
>lack of depth perception
You are 100% at fault and should not be operating a motor vehicle. Guess what? Sometimes brake lights fail. If you can't slow down in time even if the car in front doesn't have brake lights, you should not be driving:
1. Your depth perception is shot.
2. You aren't paying attention.
3. You're driving too fast for conditions (e.g. night, visibility. A car with broken brake lights in front of you is a poor driving condition).
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday November 17 2016, @07:44AM
I think it is option number 1.
By large follow distance, I mean 300m-1km (1/4 mile). It was a clear day.
I would have probably just had to brake hard if the passenger was not there.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @04:31AM
> I think some cars may have some that briefly blink off every few seconds while at a stop light.
That's just the driver lifting his foot off the brake for a second.
The complaints about blinking brake-lights are overdone. They just do what I do manually when I am concerned about being noticed. It doesn't interfere with other driver's vision. It isn't any brighter than the normal operation. It doesn't direct light where light should not go. Some people will bitch about anything.
If you want to bitch, complain about aftermarket headlights which do not conform to glare requirements (e.g. practically every single aftermarket headlight kit). Those actively interfer with other driver's ability to see the road.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2016, @04:53PM
Maybe you'd notice it more if brake lights on hard braking behaved like this: https://www.google.ch/patents/US5499010 [google.ch]
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday November 16 2016, @09:20PM
That flashing bus light is even more annoying than the newer brake lights these days that blink 3-5 times every time they apply the brakes.
I'm quite sure there are no newer vehicles with brake lights like this, and in fact, they do not conform to Federal motor vehicle code and are therefore illegal for on-road use.
What you're seeing is people who have purchased aftermarket brake light flashing modules and installed them in their cars or motorcycles (motorcyclists tend to buy more of this kind of stuff, to increase their visibility). They're very likely in violation of the law, but they're unlikely to get ticketed for it, though they probably won't pass a state inspection in states that have inspections and check brake lights.
You're right about these flashers being annoying. Personally, I think they'd be good to have if they were combined with an accelerometer so that they only flashed the brake light(s) when the car was doing emergency braking, but not during more normal braking (esp. in stop-and-go traffic). The flashing is good for getting peoples' attention, but like the old boy who cried wolf story, if all cars did this every time the driver touched the brake pedal, it would just be annoying and would also be ignored.