Discussion
I was sitting in traffic last night and a thought crossed my mind. It would be nice if brake lights automatically switched off if you were travelling at less than 5mph (except in emergency braking scenarios). I'm sure this could be easily implemented through software. The lights were just too bright last night and I ended up with a headache after 20 minutes of tail to tail...
What are your thoughts?
What are your thoughts?
kambites said:
People not sitting on the foot-brake when stationary with a car behind them would go a long way towards mitigating the problem.
Problem/prevalence of automatic cars. You have to move to neutral, apply parking brake, put your foot back on the brake, release parking brake, move back into gear and move off. Some cars have EPBs where the brake lights are on until you move off. There's so much variation.Stiggolas said:
It would be nice if brake lights automatically switched off if you were travelling at less than 5mph (except in emergency braking scenarios).
What are your thoughts?
My thoughts are in traffic moving at 4mph the likely hood of the numpty behind being on their phone not paying attention is high. What are your thoughts?
I do sympathies with you, and the bright and high level lights are annoying but as it's been said such a high % of cars are auto these days. My day to day car is an auto now and I do feel guilty sitting with the brake lights on in traffic.
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
kambites said:
People not sitting on the foot-brake when stationary with a car behind them would go a long way towards mitigating the problem.
... and some manual cars keep the brake lights on when stationary even if you take your foot off the brake.2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
kambites said:
People not sitting on the foot-brake when stationary with a car behind them would go a long way towards mitigating the problem.
... and some manual cars keep the brake lights on when stationary even if you take your foot off the brake.Like others I feel guilty of sitting on the brake or auto hold in traffic. My brake lights are very bright and I know it must be annoying. Modern cars are a challenge though, if I put my car in park it assumes you're done driving, puts all the interior lights on and I think unlocks the doors. In my sons Polo I can just pull the handbrake on if I'm stopped for more than a few seconds as we were told in our driving lessons, modern car far from that simple.
RobbyJ said:
Like others I feel guilty of sitting on the brake or auto hold in traffic. My brake lights are very bright and I know it must be annoying. Modern cars are a challenge though, if I put my car in park it assumes you're done driving, puts all the interior lights on and I think unlocks the doors. In my sons Polo I can just pull the handbrake on if I'm stopped for more than a few seconds as we were told in our driving lessons, modern car far from that simple.
On most automatic cars with a manual handbrake it is very simple - apply the handbrake, push the gear lever forward into N without having to use the gearknob detent, foot off the brake. When you are ready to move off, pull the gearknob back to D, drive engages in the moment between you doing so and releasing the handbrake.On most cars with electronic handbrakes, it is far slower and you get all manner of klaxons if you are too slow.
My car; you stop with foot on the brake, auto stop cuts in, all good. Brake lights are on.
Put the handbrake on and take your foot off the brake pedal and it assumes that you're about to move off and the engine starts up again.
The logic could be more complex to allow brakes off, engine sleeping, but it's just more to go wrong, and more to understand whether the car is going to move off or roll back.
Put the handbrake on and take your foot off the brake pedal and it assumes that you're about to move off and the engine starts up again.
The logic could be more complex to allow brakes off, engine sleeping, but it's just more to go wrong, and more to understand whether the car is going to move off or roll back.
vikingaero said:
RobbyJ said:
Like others I feel guilty of sitting on the brake or auto hold in traffic. My brake lights are very bright and I know it must be annoying. Modern cars are a challenge though, if I put my car in park it assumes you're done driving, puts all the interior lights on and I think unlocks the doors. In my sons Polo I can just pull the handbrake on if I'm stopped for more than a few seconds as we were told in our driving lessons, modern car far from that simple.
On most automatic cars with a manual handbrake it is very simple - apply the handbrake, push the gear lever forward into N without having to use the gearknob detent, foot off the brake. When you are ready to move off, pull the gearknob back to D, drive engages in the moment between you doing so and releasing the handbrake.On most cars with electronic handbrakes, it is far slower and you get all manner of klaxons if you are too slow.
vikingaero said:
RobbyJ said:
Like others I feel guilty of sitting on the brake or auto hold in traffic. My brake lights are very bright and I know it must be annoying. Modern cars are a challenge though, if I put my car in park it assumes you're done driving, puts all the interior lights on and I think unlocks the doors. In my sons Polo I can just pull the handbrake on if I'm stopped for more than a few seconds as we were told in our driving lessons, modern car far from that simple.
On most automatic cars with a manual handbrake it is very simple - apply the handbrake, push the gear lever forward into N without having to use the gearknob detent, foot off the brake. When you are ready to move off, pull the gearknob back to D, drive engages in the moment between you doing so and releasing the handbrake.On most cars with electronic handbrakes, it is far slower and you get all manner of klaxons if you are too slow.
However, the switch is put to far back and its a right pain to get my (long forearmed) hand on it, and it restarts the engine and the car lurches as it takes up the slack and to avoid this by putting it in N, you have to find the fiddly little switch on the centre console as it has no lever.
Mind you, its also one of those annoying autos that is never in the right gear in auto, and in manual it thinks it knows better and still changes for you.
Manual gearbox/Handbrake for me.
Edited by Gary C on Thursday 5th February 15:44
Gary C said:
vikingaero said:
RobbyJ said:
Like others I feel guilty of sitting on the brake or auto hold in traffic. My brake lights are very bright and I know it must be annoying. Modern cars are a challenge though, if I put my car in park it assumes you're done driving, puts all the interior lights on and I think unlocks the doors. In my sons Polo I can just pull the handbrake on if I'm stopped for more than a few seconds as we were told in our driving lessons, modern car far from that simple.
On most automatic cars with a manual handbrake it is very simple - apply the handbrake, push the gear lever forward into N without having to use the gearknob detent, foot off the brake. When you are ready to move off, pull the gearknob back to D, drive engages in the moment between you doing so and releasing the handbrake.On most cars with electronic handbrakes, it is far slower and you get all manner of klaxons if you are too slow.
However, the switch is put to far back and its a right pain to get my (long forearmed) hand on it, and it restarts the engine and the car lurches as it takes up the slack and to avoid this by putting it in N, you have to find the fiddly little switch on the centre console as it has no lever.
Mind you, its also one of those annoying autos that is never in the right gear in auto, and in manual it thinks it knows better and still changes for you.
Manual gearbox/Handbrake for me.
Edited by Gary C on Thursday 5th February 15:44
Granadier said:
In every auto I've owned, you can apply and release the parking brake while leaving the gear selector in D. On my XJ, arriving at a stop, I apply the parking brake by flicking up the little flap on the centre console, and take my feet off the pedals. Then when I'm ready to drive off, pressing the accelerator releases the brake. Gear left in D throughout, no need to touch it. I only bother moving the gear to P if I'm expecting to be stationary for some minutes.
Except in a large number of new cars, applying the park brake in that fashion or enabling autohold in drive will put the brake lights on anyway.I agree brake lights in stop start traffic can be a bit annoying, but i can only imagine the chaos that would ensue if some cars brake lights came on as you're creeping then as soon as you stop they turn off, other cars are on as you're slowing down then turn off when stationary then on when going again. And other cars are just on all the time as they haven't implemented the same logic.
I'm quite content to deal with the current level of this particular motoring annoyance
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