If you're using it hands free set the phone somewhere away from your body, then you won't be sitting and absorbing all that microwave energy for no reason. I generally keep it as far from me as possible....

Strobe lights are reserved for law and EMS in most states
 

Strobe lights are reserved for law and EMS in most states.
You WILL be arrested in the state of Michigan for impersonating an officer or EMS.
We had several cases in the last year.
Out of state plates are NO protection, plan on a fine and PRISON.
No discretion of judge is allowed, fine and jail in every case.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2005-2006/billanalysis/house/htm/2005-HLA-4865-1.htm

http://www.officer.com/article/archive_article.jsp?siteSection=1

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:D7yNhcK-yg8J:www.michigan.gov/documents/Supp_to_2004_manual_114371_7.pdf+Michigan+statute+impersonating+an+officer+or+EMS&hl=en

I saw a few large trucks with LED taillights which flashed very quickly; about two times the first second or so the brakes were applied, they were quite attention grabbing.

I also saw a H1 with a surface mounted aftermarket LED third brake light which flashed the entire time the brakes were on.

This one is neat:
http://www.brakeflasher.com/brake.htm

For you do-ti-yourselfers... :eek:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/flashing.htm

-John :cool:

Well, at the 10th anniversary of my 39th birthday, I have no intention of impersonating an officer or installing strobe lights for show.

My idea is to take a third brake light and modify it slightly in order to make it slightly more visible. The idea of the 3 flash-then-steady would hardly be called impersonating an emergency vehicle. With an internal strobe the same thing could probably be done with a single flash.

make a lead casing for any of your electronics and create a pinch

BTW Strobes have been found to actually, as was stated, causing target fixation.

Also they are so high of intensity that it can cause annoying problems with people within viewing range. Was talking with an ODOT (oregon DOT) guy who said everyone is slowly phasing out strobes becuaes they are ineffective and are not working. Rotating lights are best for warning because they allow the driver/viewer to actually get a reasonable bearing on the situation and not just have this bright thing flashing in their face.

So no strobes...modulating would work but I don't think its going to keep people from rear-ending you. If they are not paying enough attention to see that someone is stopped...they won't notice that little modulating 3rd brake light tryign to warn them.

If you don't want them to hit you...put a 12ga in the back window :D

Those lights on motor cycles are an annoying F&*(. You are right- it's a lighting race war, and just like the cold war arms race no one wins. Don't support the lighting pollution war. Just put a third brake light and be done with it.

Well, it seems as everyone has this fixation (pun intended) on strobes without reading my post entirely.:rolleyes:

If you install a third brake light and internally install a single bulb that flashes once, very brightly, at the initial application of the brakes then goes to the normal on state, of the remaining bulbs, I feel it would gain attention quicker(to the brake lights, not the car) and increase the odds of not being rear-ended.:idea2:

Anyway, has someone here installed an aftermarket third brake light that looks OE? Who was your source, for the light, and do you have any hints for the installation?

Cell Phones
 

Just ordered the brake light flasher from the earlyer post, I will fit this to the tracker in sig with the led light that is to go in the new hard top back window to replace the light on a stick (oem). If I like it i will get one for the 300SD but I need to find a good led light for the back window?

In most of europe you will get a BIG ticket for holding a cell phone while driving, what will it take in the land of the free to ban this stupid practice?

Final thought, if an led had a capacitor and maybe a resistor in series wired accross the current limiting resistor, the LED would light bright then drop back to normal after a time determined by the time constant of the CR combination. I would target say 3X current for about 250 milliseconds. any takers?


Steve

That would work but the one thing to consider is the operation of emergency flashers. The RC time constant would need to be long enough to allow the emergency flashers to operate normally. I considered this originally but thought that a separate bulb/bulbs might an easier way to maintain the original function. This would prevent the mesmerizing effect of the strobe and especially in such a dangerous situation as a roadside emergency.

BTW I think the biggest issue is not people seeing you initially stop...its seeing you STOPPED.

A 3rd brake light would work nicely for this however flashing at the very beggining isn't going to help if they didn't see you first put on your brake lights.

Just a thought :)

DC has a law against it but I see people doing it as often as no....driving right past cops who couldn't care less. I personally think they should be taken out and shot but thats a discussion better suited on another forum.

Daze
 

If any of your other halfs are into watching SOAP there is a a very sad story line, on Daze of their lives, relating to the lack of attention to driving due to cell phone distraction. Not that I would ever watch it myself.


Steve