The Oppo Pulse on Pulsating Brake Lights

"TysMagic" (twjeffery) 10/23/2018 at 13:24 • Filed to: miata, brake light

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Ordered a plug and play 3rd brake light flasher for the Miata today (see link for this cool dude that does neato miata stuff). I noticed people seemed to always be very close to me in the abarth, but it feels even worse in the Miata. Maybe this will make a difference, maybe not. I’m down to try it though.

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lnik got kinja’d, here it is:

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What are oppo’s feelings on these?

ttyymmnn > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 13:41

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I say go for it. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 13:44

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I actually like it. Wouldn’t mind one on my car.

Yes, why would we need them, isn’t 3 solid brake lights sufficient. Well not long ago 2 lights was sufficient. And not long before that, some brake lights were damn near the size of a thumb tack. No one seems to be paying an attention when they drive, so more flashy things can’t hurt. I actually have FIVE brake lights on my car, and I need them because every other modern vehicle is 16' too damn high.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 13:45

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Absolutely go for it!

I like to fake brake check tailgaters. Mini has rear fog lamps.

TysMagic > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 10/23/2018 at 13:47

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cruel and awesome

CompactLuxuryFan > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 13:47

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Flashing brake lights already have a meaning: full panic stop. I am annoyed by these ones that flash whenever. Legally speaking, I’m guessing these are not legal, as that’s the reason manufacturers disable the flashing function from their US-spec models.

TysMagic > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/23/2018 at 13:49

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I believe you’re pretty handy, Amazon has the pulser for like $7. Just have to wire it in.  https://amzn.to/2D4u3Tc

TysMagic > CompactLuxuryFan 10/23/2018 at 13:51

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Because the flash isn’t indicating panic, just that they’re stopping OR just that they flash period? 

CompactLuxuryFan > CompactLuxuryFan 10/23/2018 at 13:53

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And here’s exactly how they’re supposed to work:

CompactLuxuryFan > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 14:00

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Because the flash isn’t indicating panic. It’s as if your reverse lights came on whenever you’re in first gear.

TysMagic > CompactLuxuryFan 10/23/2018 at 14:05

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ah that is dramatic!!! And I would arguably say different than just the third brake light, though I’m not trying to change your opinion on it.
Here is a video of what I ordered

https://videos.files.wordpress.com/mklzrXyO/gs-100a-2_dvd.mp4

ttyymmnn > CompactLuxuryFan 10/23/2018 at 14:09

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All the city buses in Austin flash their brake lights whenever the driver lifts off the gas. Then they go solid when the brake is applied. It certainly gets your attention. A blinking third light and solid tail lights don’t necessarily give a conflicting message. The third light was always about getting a brake light more into the line of sight for following drivers. 

facw > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 10/23/2018 at 14:10

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I try to use my rear fog lamp to signal people (that their headlights aren’t on or whatever). It never works. I have seen evidence that people do indeed notice it in the fog though.

ttyymmnn > CompactLuxuryFan 10/23/2018 at 14:11

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Following car should have seen and reacted to that long before the blinky brake light came on. It helps to know it’s coming as the viewer, but driver should  lift the moment the car in front shows brake lights.

McMike > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 14:14

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Flashing lights won’t make their following distance longer u nless it’s a LED light bar.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > facw 10/23/2018 at 14:15

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I usually flash them, like I just tapped the brakes. It works 50% of the times.

TysMagic > McMike 10/23/2018 at 14:20

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it will hopefully grab a little attention before they slam in to me - so I’m willing to try it. 

Spanfeller is a twat > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 14:33

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My solution is to use the rear fog lights. 

TysMagic > Spanfeller is a twat 10/23/2018 at 14:34

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sounds very euro of you 

Spanfeller is a twat > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 14:35

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The good thing about living in a country with no regulations is that you get a bit of every regulation with an import product.

My car is CARB rated, but has EDM headlights. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 14:36

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I wanted to take a picture of the brake lights on the Houston Police Explorer that was in front of me this morning. It had the standard tail lights with the third brake light, two supplemental brake lights on either side of the license plate, two more supplemental brake lights in the rear glass just below the spoiler, and the rear of the top light bar also lit up red when he hit the brakes. ALL of them did a triple flash every time he touched the brakes. Since we were in downtown traffic, he was touching the brakes a lot.

I’ll admit, it was getting somewhat annoying.

TysMagic > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/23/2018 at 14:53

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that has to be the most obnoxious thing possible for traffic. I’ll take five. 

Spanfeller is a twat > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 10/23/2018 at 15:18

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Ah, I see you’re a man of culture. 

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Spanfeller is a twat 10/23/2018 at 15:51

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A h, I see you’re a man of culture Oppo

FTFY

CompactLuxuryFan > ttyymmnn 10/23/2018 at 16:39

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Upon rewatching, you can see that the 5-series is hardly slowing down initially before suddenly going all in on the brakes. However, it’s really hard to see on the first watch. I don’t think this driver was familiar with flashing brake lights before this incident. They were off the gas as soon as the brake lights came on, but late to start braking hard. Had they understood what the flashing meant, they wouldn’t have had that ‘oh shit’ moment. A nd for that matter, neither would the BMW have, if the car in front indicated different braking force differently.

I t’s difficult to differentiate between gradual and sudden slowing in highway situations like that , and that’s exactly the purpose of not only the flashing but also other levels of “brake force display”, as BMW calls it. As this feature becomes more widespread (and I believe it’s pretty much standard on anything with LED taillights now) and more drivers know what it means, situations like this can be avoided altogether.

But then if random people install flashing on any braking, we’ll have a different kind of ‘oh shit’ moments. I just think it needs to be better kept track of and enforced in the US.

CompactLuxuryFan > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 16:42

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Yours is actually more dramatic than I pictured it. It’s not entirely uncommon to see around the Bay Area. The other day I saw an STI with the mid fog light hole filled in with a flashing light. I’m sure it does something and am not opposed to it on an individual level. I’m just annoyed the US is gonna end up with a different convention from the rest of the world.

Jason Spears > TysMagic 10/23/2018 at 21:34

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I’m against it.

It’s annoying and distracting to people who are paying attention. F lashing lights mean signaling, and signaling means someone intends to change something somewhere ahead of me, so I’m going to focus on that just a tiny bit to see what’s up. Things like this add unnecessarily to the attention workload.

I also have to admit it kind of hits that same button that “baby on board” signs do with me. Flashing brake lights are a wagging finger in my face saying “now pay att ention because I’m slowing down now, and I matter .”

TysMagic > Jason Spears 10/23/2018 at 22:42

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I agree with you. I don’t want to feel like adding this to my car is needed.

However,  from my day to day driving experience, that the average driver needs that extra item added to the attention workload because there are so many other attention grabbers sitting in front of their face. I don’t think it’s necessarily a “I matter and you don’t” kind of thing, however I don’t know if that’s an internet battle worth taking on.

Maxima Speed > TysMagic 10/24/2018 at 15:44

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I think they are a great idea. I do encourage a relatively fast pulse speed which turns to solid with prolonged pressure. I have seen that several times and it catches the attention with out being obnoxious.