Miata Mailing List: October 1999, Message #131

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In message <3.0.6.32.19991001152825.0082d210@pop.win.org>, Bill Kellenberger wr
ites:
> I'd be interested in hearing from some of you that have driven for any
> distance (in traffic) *behind* someone with the blinking center stop light.
>  How would you compare the "attention" factor versus the "annoyance"
> factor?  I'm thinking about doing it to Dino and the Honda, but I have some
> concerns over the annoyance it might cause to someone behind me for a few
> miles in stop-and-go traffic.

I'm pretty sure I'd find it *really* annoying. As annoying as I find
  flashing text or ads on the web. Something flashing tends to draw my
  eye to it, even when I'm trying to concentrate on something else.

I like the idea someone posted a little while back of a brake light that
  flashes just a few times when you first apply it, but then stays on
  after the first few flashes. Then it would grab attention when it first
  comes on (when it needs to grab attention), but not be as obnoxious
  while the brakes are being held on for long. It would also be more 
  complicated to implement than a simple flasher.
  
It could still get annoying fast in traffic where brakes are getting 
  applied and released a lot, though. Maybe some sort of cutout so that
  if it has been less than 30 seconds (or some other time period) 
  since you got off the brakes, it won't blink when you apply them 
  again. So when you're on and off the brakes in slow traffic, you
  won't be as annoying, but when you have to hit the brakes when
  everything is flowing (and the driver behind you might not be paying
  as much attention), you'll get the blinkers and the other driver's
  attention. This would be even more complicated to implement. 

There may also be better strategies than a timer since last brake
  release for deciding whether or not to blink on any given 
  application of the brakes.
  
  Keith Hearn
  '99 10AE "Sexy Sadie" the Sapphire Shark
  Milpitas, CA