Mod brake lights to blink/flash

cbsteh

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Guys,

Do you know if it is possible to safely change or modify our brake lights to flash/blink whenever we press our brakes? I am not talking about buying an add-on accessory (like a fourth brake light) but to modify our existing brake lights to flash on-and-off whenever we hit the brakes.
 

papagoines

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Must have electronic know - how. once I saw a diy electronic kit at jalan pasar (can't remember the shop :hmmmm: since I was accompanying a friend) that does what you said.

once completed, wire it to your brake lights

the end result supposed to be light the link below ( see the "Blinking Smart Stop Delay Version" section)
The Home Of Flashing Brake Lights
 

mADmAN

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oh god...WHY????????
 

didie

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I am sorry, i know one will say its their own preferences, or, 'its my car lah! i can do watever f*ck i want with my car', some sort like that, but anyhow, I feel the need of pointing out my views :p Im an early traveller to work as early as 6:00 am, and can consider as pitch black. Been using PLUS highway. Honestly to say, some users are ignorance enough with their bright HIDs, now LEDs, blue-ish LED, blue-ish HIDs, if the day already bright, sincerely i dont mind at all, though it is still an annoyance, but still bearable. But if its during a pitch black environment, God knows how intimidating it can be. You see all the bright lights from rear view, or side mirrors, it is unpleasant! It causes blindness for a few seconds, really! That, im grateful that my rear view and side mirror will adjust itself and turns black it it were flashed, but what about cars without it?

So please, now a blinking brake lights??? I dont know what are you guys been thinking. Seriously for looks, yes it may look good, no doubt, but please, its not only you been using the road and there come the word 'consideration'.

And yes, this meant for a hard feeling if it strikes you.
 

6UE5t

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Yes do not modify your brake lights! It's actually a violation as it's intrusive to others and can be dangerous. Car lights have been made according to standards and regulations based on safety research. Don't treat the public roads as your playground or disco club.
 

cbsteh

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My post about flashing brake lights was for safety reasons as to catch people's attention more quickly that I have braked. Numerous times in the past, I have been knocked from behind as many as once to twice a year. Thankfully, all accidents have been in slow speeds, so no injuries or serious damage to anyone's car.

I am a careful driver and all the accidents I mentioned isn't because I am speeding and brake suddenly. My last accident, for instance, was just before CNY this year. My car was already at a *complete* stop for 2-3 seconds when a bike rear ended me.

My suggestion wasn't to have disco lights as brake lights for self-gratifying purpose. I brake, the brake lights flash. I believe this catches people's attention more quickly so they won't rear end me as frequently as before.

Of course, I could add on another flashing brake light accessory I see some car owners have done, but I value the look of my car and I don't want an ugly accessory, if possible.
 

didie

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Hmm don't you ever wonder researchers would think thousands steps ahead if they find it relevant for daily use? Okay2 sorry whatever suits you mister. I rest my case. :p
 

cbsteh

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Hmm don't you ever wonder researchers would think thousands steps ahead if they find it relevant for daily use? Okay2 sorry whatever suits you mister. I rest my case. :p
Please remember that research is always moving onward, never static. This includes research in cars. Car safety have improved so much in a short time due to research: safety glass (e.g., laminated windshield instead of tempered windshield glass), collapsible steering columns, and air bags.

Of course, I am not so presumptuous to think that I am better than car experts or I am going to set a trend in car safety design, but I do have a brain and I can think for myself. I am just entertaining an idea to make my own driving safer for myself and others by having flashing brake lights.

Here I put up a link for you to at least consider instead of being so close-minded (or underestimating your own intelligence) to brush off unusual ideas:

Blinking Smart Stop - Flashing Brake Light

Another useful link has already been posted earlier by someone else.
 

6UE5t

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I believe this catches people's attention more quickly so they won't rear end me as frequently as before...
How do you come to such conclusion? Have you done any research/study on it that you 'believe' it would catches people attention and make it safer for you and everyone, and actually not startles or confuses, and annoy/disturb people instead? Or is that just your assumption?

---------- Post added 03-24-2013 at 12:02 AM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was 03-23-2013 at 11:56 PM ----------

...

Here I put up a link for you to at least consider instead of being so close-minded (or underestimating your own intelligence) to brush off unusual ideas:

Blinking Smart Stop - Flashing Brake Light

Another useful link has already been posted earlier by someone else.
Those links are posted by the people who try to make money from it! So of course they will say it will be safer because they're trying to to get you to buy into that idea and hence buy their products. :)
Let me ask you this, do you always trust everything the seller tells you? I won't. :)
 

cbsteh

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How do you come to such conclusion? Have you done any research/study on it that you 'believe' it would catches people attention and make it safer for you and everyone, and actually not startles or confuses, and annoy/disturb people instead? Or is that just your assumption?

...

Those links are posted by the people who try to make money from it! So of course they will say it will be safer because they're trying to to get you to buy into that idea and hence buy their products. :)
Let me ask you this, do you always trust everything the seller tells you? I won't. :)

Here are two links that talk about the benefits of flashing brake lights, as revealed by research:

Adaptive Brake Light (ABL) - The 3rd Eye

http://www.pulseprotects.com/pulse-intro/history

The flashing brake light is apparently also a *standard* equipment for some Mercedes models:

Adaptive Brake Light | Mercedes 500SEC.com

About the sellers wanting to promote their products: of course, they want to sell their products, and of course, they will tell that it is safer. But here's where we put on our thinking caps (not close-mindedness) come in: are they telling the truth, and if they are, how much truth have they revealed? Sometimes what they don't tell us is just as important as what they are telling us.

Of course, one may argue that these research are scientifically flawed or biased, rendering the results erroneous. But I have done some thinking -- a flashing brake light does make sense. Isn't the third brake light compulsory because it catches our attention faster? So why not a flashing one?
 
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6UE5t

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Here are two links that talk about the benefits of flashing brake lights, as revealed by research:

Adaptive Brake Light (ABL) - The 3rd Eye

History of Flashing Third Brake Light - Safe Braking Technology

The flashing brake light is apparently also a *standard* equipment for some Mercedes models:

Adaptive Brake Light | Mercedes 500SEC.com

About the sellers wanting to promote their products: of course, they want to sell their products, and of course, they will tell that it is safer. But here's where we put on our thinking caps (not close-mindedness) come in: are they telling the truth, and if they are, how much truth have they revealed? Sometimes what they don't tell us is just as important as what they are telling us.

Of course, one may argue that these research are scientifically flawed or biased, rendering the results erroneous. But I have done some thinking -- a flashing brake light does make sense. Isn't the third brake light compulsory because it catches our attention faster? So why not a flashing one?
Well even so, note that the blinking lights used by Mercs are only applied during emergency hard braking situations >50kph, NOT every time you press the brake pedal like you wanted to. :) The third brake light catches attention because the position is higher than those in the car rear body. Catching attention enough is a good thing, but catching attention too much can be disturbing, don't you think? Imagine if during traffic jams, all the brake lights are blinking, wouldn't that impose a risk of disturbing people? Imagine also during everyday traffic if all cars blink their brake lights even at a slight touch of the pedal, would that be beneficial? I'm sure those at Mercs also already consider this aspects hence do not set them blinking every time the brake pedal is pressed.
 

cbsteh

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Well even so, note that the blinking lights used by Mercs are only applied during emergency hard braking situations >50kph, NOT every time you press the brake pedal like you wanted to. :) The third brake light catches attention because the position is higher than those in the car rear body. Catching attention enough is a good thing, but catching attention too much can be disturbing, don't you think? Imagine if during traffic jams, all the brake lights are blinking, wouldn't that impose a risk of disturbing people? Imagine also during everyday traffic if all cars blink their brake lights even at a slight touch of the pedal, would that be beneficial? I'm sure those at Mercs also already consider this aspects hence do not set them blinking every time the brake pedal is pressed.
But I am glad to have at least made you think a little longer on this issue and that you now realize flashing brake lights do have their benefits as well as possible problems (and ways these problems can be mitigated, as you have pointed out in the article). Isn't this kind of thinking better than out right rejection of ideas and close mindedness?

Until everyone, or at least many people, have flashing braking lights, a car today with flashing braking lights would most probably catch people's attention faster and be safer to everyone on the road.

P.S.
I forgot to mention that the link bro papagoines gave was on flashing brake lights that flashed only for a while and not all the time -- flash for 2-3 seconds, if I remember correctly.
 
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papagoines

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correct... so its not as annoying

But I am glad to have at least made you think a little longer on this issue and that you now realize flashing brake lights do have their benefits as well as possible problems (and ways these problems can be mitigated, as you have pointed out in the article). Isn't this kind of thinking better than out right rejection of ideas and close mindedness?

Until everyone, or at least many people, have flashing braking lights, a car today with flashing braking lights would most probably catch people's attention faster and be safer to everyone on the road.

P.S.
I forgot to mention that the link bro papagoines gave was on flashing brake lights that flashed only for a while and not all the time -- flash for 2-3 seconds, if I remember correctly.
 

weu250

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I am with cbsteh and papagoines.... I think it works....

I mean as long it is not the strobe lighting kind, which definitely can be annoying... I don't even mind the blinking/flashing type which is installed lower on the bumper. I have got rear ended a couple of times in traffic (not even a fast emergency stop). Maybe this little change would help...
 

6UE5t

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But I am glad to have at least made you think a little longer on this issue and that you now realize flashing brake lights do have their benefits as well as possible problems (and ways these problems can be mitigated, as you have pointed out in the article). Isn't this kind of thinking better than out right rejection of ideas and close mindedness?

Until everyone, or at least many people, have flashing braking lights, a car today with flashing braking lights would most probably catch people's attention faster and be safer to everyone on the road.

P.S.
I forgot to mention that the link bro papagoines gave was on flashing brake lights that flashed only for a while and not all the time -- flash for 2-3 seconds, if I remember correctly.
I'm ok if it's done properly using proper equipment which has been properly tested with research to back it up, like I believe Mercs would have done. The problem is many just do it because accessories shops sell those things just to mimick F1 cars or whatever! It seems simple like just make the lights blinking for a few seconds, but I'd think it's not as simple as that, like which lights should be blinking, what's the proper frequency of the blinking, how should the light intensity be when blinking, how long should it be blinking, in what conditions should it be blinking, etc.
 

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