Post by DontDentMyCar on Mar 22, 2014 13:45:47 GMT -5
This is the start of a new discussion.
There are two categories I'd like to cover:
1) Tail Lights including Running Lights, Brake Lights, Reverse Lights, Turn Signal Lights and when lights are off, and their color, size, placement.
Other issues:
Automatic running lights at night.
2) Bumper design, strength and placement. (This is especially important for Big Rigs and trucks and how they relate to passenger vehicles). I'll address this in a different thread.
Why talk about tail lights?
To prevent rear-end collisions, to 'speak the same language' without halting creative design, to give warning to other nearby vehicles a driver's intention to avoid collisions.
Sometimes there can be only a second to decided if a vehicle is stopping, turning or just driving along. All vehicles/drivers following another vehicles should always immediately understand the intention of the driver ahead of them without question or confusion.
Example: Some car designers have made the Running Light, Brake Light and the Turn Signal the same light, that is they're all red and occupy the same space. This means when the turn signal first comes on, it appears that a driver is braking. This can be further complicated if the vehicles behind do not see both tail lights to understand that one light is 'acting different' than the other lights. Further, if one tail light is blinking, it can therefore not act as a brake light. Finally, the color red should be used for 'slowing or stopping' and not for a warning light like that for a turn signal which universally understood to be yellow.
Another example is the use of LED lights without a colored cover, so they appear to be headlights during the day (or night if not illuminated). See Reflectors...
REFLECTORS: Vehicles have always had red reflectors in their tail lights assemblies, but, and I could be mistaken, these are disappearing. Every vehicle should have a reflector if only to act as a substitute if the tail light is not functioning, or to prevent rear-ends into parked vehicles. The point is the red reflector is red, to indicate the rear of the vehicle, so LED assemblies should always have the same red cover so the rear of the vehicle is always and universally acknowledged, thus preventing confusion about one-way streets, on-coming vehicles, etc.
RULES FOR REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLIES:
1) Red light is the only color for running and brake lights.
2) Yellow light is the only color for turn signal lights.
3) White light is the only color for reverse lights.
4) Running and Brake lights can occupy the same space or a different space, but Turn Signal and Reverse must occupy a different space.
5) The Running and Brake lights are larger than the turn signal light which is larger than the reverse light, in square inches.
6) The primary light assemblies should be places on the corners of the vehicle, with the dominate orientation towards the rear, but in a way so that both lights can be seen at a variety of angles.
7) The larger the vehicle's silhouette from the rear, the larger the light assemblies.
8) No other colored lights can be used at the rear of the vehicle.
9) Brake lights on should be a steady 'brighter than running' light. A third 'pyramid' light located at the top center of the vehicle can be steady, or flash if the vehicle is traveling at under 10 mph only.
10) No other locations can be considered other than the two main flanking lights, and the central pyramid light at the top center of the rear of the vehicle.
Design of Lights:
The design, shape, orientation, surface design, etc. can be of any style as long as it meets the requirements of the above.
(I have to look up what, if any, standards there are already, I'm sure there must be some guidelines, but newer designs are what is prompting me to address this issue).
There are two categories I'd like to cover:
1) Tail Lights including Running Lights, Brake Lights, Reverse Lights, Turn Signal Lights and when lights are off, and their color, size, placement.
Other issues:
Automatic running lights at night.
2) Bumper design, strength and placement. (This is especially important for Big Rigs and trucks and how they relate to passenger vehicles). I'll address this in a different thread.
Why talk about tail lights?
To prevent rear-end collisions, to 'speak the same language' without halting creative design, to give warning to other nearby vehicles a driver's intention to avoid collisions.
Sometimes there can be only a second to decided if a vehicle is stopping, turning or just driving along. All vehicles/drivers following another vehicles should always immediately understand the intention of the driver ahead of them without question or confusion.
Example: Some car designers have made the Running Light, Brake Light and the Turn Signal the same light, that is they're all red and occupy the same space. This means when the turn signal first comes on, it appears that a driver is braking. This can be further complicated if the vehicles behind do not see both tail lights to understand that one light is 'acting different' than the other lights. Further, if one tail light is blinking, it can therefore not act as a brake light. Finally, the color red should be used for 'slowing or stopping' and not for a warning light like that for a turn signal which universally understood to be yellow.
Another example is the use of LED lights without a colored cover, so they appear to be headlights during the day (or night if not illuminated). See Reflectors...
REFLECTORS: Vehicles have always had red reflectors in their tail lights assemblies, but, and I could be mistaken, these are disappearing. Every vehicle should have a reflector if only to act as a substitute if the tail light is not functioning, or to prevent rear-ends into parked vehicles. The point is the red reflector is red, to indicate the rear of the vehicle, so LED assemblies should always have the same red cover so the rear of the vehicle is always and universally acknowledged, thus preventing confusion about one-way streets, on-coming vehicles, etc.
RULES FOR REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLIES:
1) Red light is the only color for running and brake lights.
2) Yellow light is the only color for turn signal lights.
3) White light is the only color for reverse lights.
4) Running and Brake lights can occupy the same space or a different space, but Turn Signal and Reverse must occupy a different space.
5) The Running and Brake lights are larger than the turn signal light which is larger than the reverse light, in square inches.
6) The primary light assemblies should be places on the corners of the vehicle, with the dominate orientation towards the rear, but in a way so that both lights can be seen at a variety of angles.
7) The larger the vehicle's silhouette from the rear, the larger the light assemblies.
8) No other colored lights can be used at the rear of the vehicle.
9) Brake lights on should be a steady 'brighter than running' light. A third 'pyramid' light located at the top center of the vehicle can be steady, or flash if the vehicle is traveling at under 10 mph only.
10) No other locations can be considered other than the two main flanking lights, and the central pyramid light at the top center of the rear of the vehicle.
Design of Lights:
The design, shape, orientation, surface design, etc. can be of any style as long as it meets the requirements of the above.
(I have to look up what, if any, standards there are already, I'm sure there must be some guidelines, but newer designs are what is prompting me to address this issue).