THE CONTROVERSY OVER REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALING ON MOTOR VEHICLES

ANALYSIS OF THE REFERENCE LITERATURE DEALING WITH THE NATURE AND PROBABLE CAUSES OF REAR-END COLLISIONS RESULTS IN THE CONCLUSION THAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN AND SHOULD BE MADE IN THE LIGHTING AND SIGNALING SYSTEMS ON MOTOR VEHICLES. SINCE THE EVALUATION OF SIGNALING SYSTEMS IS COMPLEX AND OVER 100,000,000 DRIVERS WILL BE AFFECTED BY ANY CHANGES, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES REQUIRE CONSIDERABLY MORE RESEARCH THAN HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND REPORTED. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES, HOWEVER, OFFER IMPROVED REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALING WHILE NOT REQUIRING FURTHER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH OR NEW LEARNING BY THE DRIVING POPULATION. (1) USE A MINUMUM 4-LAMP SYSTEM WITH A SEPARATE STOP LAMP SPACED AT A MINUMUM OF 5 OR 6 INCHES FROM THE TURN SIGNAL AND TAIL LAMP, (2) IMPROVE THE TURN SIGNAL PILOT INDICATOR, BOTH VISUAL AND AUDIBLE FOR PROPER DAYTIME INDICATION. ALSO USE A SEPARATE PILOT INDICATOR LAMP FOR LEFT AND RIGHT TURN. (3) INCORPORATE SOME TYPE OF LAMP FAILURE INDICATORS. (4) USE SIDE TURN SIGNALS. (5) USE ONLY THE COLOR RED FOR REAR HAZARD WARNING LAMPS. (6) INCORPORATE A PANIC STOP SIGNAL, WHICH COULD BE THE NORMAL HAZARD WARNING LAMPS WITH PERHAPS A FASTER FLASH RATE. (7) USE A DRIVER ACTUATED SLOW MOVING VEHICLE SIGNAL, WHICH COULD ALSO BE THE NORMAL HAZARD WARNING LAMPS. (8) KEEP THE STOP LAMPS ACTUATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. THE ADOPTION OF THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES ON MOTOR VEHICLES SHOULD ELIMINATE MANY OF THE FAULTS OF THE REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALING SYSTEM, AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF REAR-END COLLISIONS. UNTIL FUTURE RESEARCH INDICATES FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS ARE POSSIBLE, THE REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALING SYSTEM COULD THEREFORE BE ELIMINATED AS A POSSIBLE MAJOR CAUSE OF REAR-END COLLISION. OTHER CHANGES IN THE VEHICLE, THE ROAD, AND THE DRIVER WOULD THEN BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF THESE COLLISIONS. /SRIS/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • pp 581-585, 28 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Intl Auto Sfty Conf Compendium

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Owen, L C
• Publication Date: 1970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Hazards; Motor vehicles; Rear end crashes; Recommendations; Reviews; Signal lights; Signaling; Taillamps; Vehicle lighting; Warning systems
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221053
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 18 1971 12:00AM