I'm still waiting for the scrolling LED screen across the rear window connected to a speech-to-text application. Hell, I don't even mind cancelling the whole speech-to-text part and having 5-10 ready made messages. Think of the satisfaction in being able to truly express yourself to other drivers on the road.
Below are a selection of my beta-phrases:
1) Thanks very much!
2) Speed trap ahead
3) Switching lanes ASAP
4) You're making me nervous...
5) Dude - you're insane
6) Whatever, yo
7) Rad car!
8) Hunh?
9) What's the rush?
10) Eff you

Dude, YES.

I would definitely need a message of contrition -- like, "I don't hate you, I'm just an idiot" for when I accidentally cut people off.

Actually, why DOESN'T this exist? Even in a lame neon light-up version? Is it illegal or something?

I'm with Robin - maybe it's the Canadian in me, but more than anything else, I wish I had a way of indicating, 'I'm sorry!'

Although it's hard not to imagine that it would immediately be exploited as post factum damage control - 'Yeah, I know I cut you off, but hey, I said I'm sorry!' - and become valueless.

I can't remember which comedian said this, but every car should have a phone in it, and the phone number should be the license of the car.

Woah, Brian. I guess I'm not alone in this, but I've wanting something like what you've described for years.

Can't someone make this happen?

Well folks, due to the overwhelming feedback regarding this post and my complete lack of desire to accomplish much at work this fine, sunny afternoon I bring to you a solution.
http://www.mobileled.com/550vehicleadvertising.html
Now someone's just gotta get West Coast Customs to do the install so it actually looks slick.
Seriously though, for all the writers on this blog, I can't help but to think this would make for an interesting piece - 1 week of expressing yourself on the roads...

Clive, how do you know that the augmented effectivenes of two stage break lights isn't simply due to increased brightness? Maybe we just need brighter brake lights?

Second, I think the idea of trying to communicate with fellow drivers with anything other than bumber stickers (and even this is questionable)is a very bad idea. Sure it's frustrating not being able to tell the guy or gal who just cut us off how we feel about their actions, but imangine where an extended exchange would lead. Even to sincerely apologize is a bad idea: you apologize, the person you apologize to inevitably does not except your apology, and instead of feeling contrition, you feel anger. If you have the communicate with each other, you both agree to pull over to the side of the road, and settle the dispute, once and for all with a duel. That's the sort of thing that will happen. I'm not kidding.

Supercool thread here. Brian, great research, sir! I wish I had a car so I could try the experiment of communicating ...

Good question, Daniel, re: the brightness. I tend to believe that the two-stage light is genuinely better than merely making the brake lights brighter, because it's communicating more information that makes traffic easier. Best of all, it's picking a very simple message -- i.e. am I braking slowly or quickly? -- and transmitting it using a very, very simple mechanism.

Would more complex mechanisms, and more complex communication tools, create road hazards? If it got out of control I suspect yes. Me, I'd be rubbernecking to read some witty bon mot from that guy in the '67 Camaro and then splat: I'd accidentally take out some poor old granny crossing the road.

I do not very much agree with what seems to be the general feeling here.

I think it is dangerous. It would lead people to ignore or undervalue the fact that I have may foot on the brake. They would think "he is just slowing down a bit" while I'm startled by something and trying to understand if I have to push hard or I can just keep on going. The result? A slight delay in the reaction of the guy on my back...

By the way, do you know how annoying it is when someone is stuck on your rear (still talking about cars :D) without any REAL chance to pass you? Well I know of at least one person who had a little switch to turn the brake lights ON... And get rid of the following idiot! Bright, cruel and dangerous. I would even say it's criminal, but I've kept on dreaming about that little device since I heard the story...

Ahahha! That's a truly evil app.

After thinking about it for the day, I too have concluded that the staged brake lights are a bad idea for the reasons mentioned by the previous poster. It's vaguely reminiscent of the terror alert levels. Either someone is braking or they're not. You don't have time to decide on a classification, and then decide what action you'd take based on that classification. Cars for rich folk always have some absurd gimmick. In the 50's car came with an electric ice-cream maker in the trunk. You'd throw in the ingredients, take a drive, and in about a half hour, the time it might take to drive to some lovely picnic spot, you'd have fresh ice-cream. Just kidding.

And I must respectfully disagree.

I've thought for some time that it would be useful to have a better indication of the braking of the car ahead of you -- or, more properly, it's *deceleration* rate.

My approach was an accelerometer-driving high-light that increased either pulse-frequency or pulse-width the harder you were braking, devolving to a solid light at a full stop.

I think it would be quite useful.

Nice blog, BTW: added to my list.

Why would it be useful? I mean you stick with what was said above or have some other arguments?
:D

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