ABS Braking Activates Hazard lights

44

Description

When you brake hard so the ABS is activated, the yellow hazard (rear turn signal) lights should come on to provide extra warning to the driver behind.

Competitive/Pricing/Notes

This may be possible by software alone, although regulations in specific countries may not allow this feature. Also USA Model S does not have amber hazard (turn-signals) in the rear, but only red lights, although the concept should work.

BMW offers this feature in some countries, called “Dynamic Brake Lights”.

The Dynamic Brake Force Display show drivers behind you how heavily you’re braking and allow them to react in good time. This drastically reduces the danger of a rear-end collision.

The brake lights themselves are divided into two zones. During normal braking, only one zone is illuminated. When heavy braking is detected, Brake Force Display increases the intensity of the brake lights by illuminating the second zone as well. In addition, the hazard lights are activated just before the vehicle comes to a standstill. The hazard lights are deactivated automatically when the vehicle accelerates or by pushing a button.

Status

Unknown.

lightly edited by moderator
Category: CY3XS Applies to:
Tags:
link
     Created 1-Dec-2014
valhalla
1,048

6 Comments

A good driver can have a hard stop without ABS kicking in.  A bad driver can have ABS kick in constantly simply because they always slam on the brakes and let ABS make their stops for them.

Don't see this as a good idea.  Plus, I find the flashing on other cars to be annoying.  During my morning drive to work, there are always people wanting to go 80 mph, and people in the left lane doing 60mph, so there is a lot of cars that have to weave thru traffic.  This flashing of other cars is already annoying.  I can support the amber lights, but not the flashing of the brake lights.

I'd rather see the US adopt the Europe standard of always having turn signals Amber, and a separate light from the brake signal.
link
    Created 4-May-2019
Jean-Claude D
205
this will be required on all new cars in EU by 2021
link
    Created 2-May-2019
valhalla
1,048
Having this on warm areas is possybly usefull, but having this where there is actually winter is no point. ABS kicks in on a daily basis without there being anything dramatic about it.
link
    Created 27-Jan-2015
cra
2,304
Mercedes also has this feature so it is not just BMW

Adaptive Brake Light for Mercedes-Benz
During heavy braking from a vehicle speed greater than 50km/h, the Electronic Stability Program ESP® activates the new "Adaptive Brake Light" safety function, which makes the brake lights flash instead of just lighting up continuously.


Once the danger has passed and the brake pedal is only held or slightly released by the driver, ESP® deactivates the "Adaptive Brake Light" and the brake lights light up continuously as usual. These flashing brake lights ensure a higher level of attention on the part of following traffic.

Automatic activation of the hazard warning system

If the "Adaptive Brake Light" function is activated at a speed exceeding 70km/h, and remains active until the vehicle comes to a halt, the hazard warning system is automatically switched on when the vehicle stops. It can be manually switched off again at any time. Once the vehicle begins to move at a speed over 10 km/h again, as often happens in dense moving traffic, the system switches the hazard warning lights off.
link
    Created 3-Dec-2014
valhalla
1,048
Some USA BMW owners report having this feature, so it appears it may be legal in the USA.  It may be a patented feature that prevents others from using the concept.
link
    Created 2-Dec-2014
Moderator
34,300
Are there regulatory issues to implement this in the USA?
link
    Created 1-Dec-2014
AndyM
3,995