Engine braking and stop lights

[JacobAziza]

Originally Posted by comptiger5000

just the fact that they were going faster doesn't significantly increase the risk of something happening. Speed typically only causes accidents when driving beyond the limits of the driver and/or car under the current conditions. Otherwise, it only makes them worse when they happen.

Actually, just going faster, even at low speeds, does significantly increase the risk of an accident. When travel speed increases by 1%, the injury crash rate increases by about 2%, the serious injury crash rate increases by about 3%, and the fatal crash rate increases by about 4%.
This is true even if the overall speed is not excessive, and even if the speed is legal.

"A pedestrian walks out into a crosswalk with an approaching car that is traveling at 30 mph. If the driver brakes when the pedestrian is 45 feet away, there will be enough space to stop without hitting the pedestrian. Now, increase the vehicle’s speed by just 5 mph, and the situation changes dramatically. At 35 mph and the pedestrian 45 feet away, the car will be traveling at 18 mph when it hits the pedestrian. A pedestrian accident at 18 mph can cause major injuries or even wrongful death."

Speeding is a Top Cause of Auto Accidents

[Christ]

texanidiot - In all these posts, there's a good reason I've been lurking and not responding to you, even though you've been blatantly obvious about attempting to tear my post apart; You're taking what I said outside of context, and using it to suit your argument.

Wanna see a guy that doesn't play that game? Here I am. If you'd made a valid point based on what I said, or made an argument in the same context as what I said, then you'd probably have gotten more than a single post from me.

Hopefully, you've satisfied your needs with everyone else's posts. You won't see another from me on the topic until you acknowledge the context of my post and stop attempting to disparage it based on information you've [B]ass[B]umed.

[comptiger5000]

Jacob - The pedestrian example is a perfect one of driving too fast for conditions. If you're approaching a crosswalk, you should be driving slower to give yourself more time to see a person enter it and react. However, driving down a long, straight, nearly empty stretch of road in the middle of nowhere, you can see much farther ahead, and there are far fewer things that can happen directly in front of you, increasing the speed at which you can drive safely.

[dcb]

For a given value of "safely", yes. But if you are tailgating you can't see much of what is coming up.

But safety threads are a dime a dozen. Whats any of this got to do with improving fuel efficiency anyway?

[Dr. Jerryrigger]

So, how about that engine breaking thing...

I was at one time considering a manual switch for my break lights. I do engine brake a lot, and some of that has to do with the condition of my brakes (but this isn't a thread about safe driving, just engine breaking, right?)
It seems like it would be good to use a switch that you have to hold on, so you can forget and leave it on.
On most cars it's a very simple wire to splice into. I've done it to set up a trailer break circuit. With some a/t cars this switch will signal a downshift.

[Arragonis]

I still maintain the best defence is to make sure you have an escape - leave a gap, even if the w@nker behind won't. That gap is your escape route. Having watched a rear view window with had nothing but K C A M (reverse it ;-) in it weaving when I had to brake hard in South Carolina for one of those f@@@ing stupidly short on ramps, I was glad of my run off space.

My Girlfriend wondered why I didn't slow down as much as she wanted.

"Look behind" I said.

"Oooh" she said.

Originally Posted by Christ

texanidiot - <<stuff>>

I sense you are not at one with calm.

Grab a beer.

Beer always helps.

Beer is the universal stress balm.

Beer is good.

And if it doesn't calm you down you have empty bottles you can throw at people.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jerryrigger

So, how about that engine breaking thing...
<<On topic stuff>>

Lets go back to this one.

Mods, could this thread be split to those who want to rage about low vs high speed and those who want to look at the idea of activated brakelights ?

I think its time.

[cfguy2000]

What is "far below the limit"? That is my question. I live in TX too, so I understand about the road rage. I generally go 55. The speed limit in most places near my home is 60-65.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

I sense you are not at one with calm.

Grab a beer.

Beer always helps.

Beer is the universal stress balm.

Beer is good.

And if it doesn't calm you down you have empty bottles you can throw at people.

I actually took the advice of one of the mods here on that post... I let it stew for awhile to make sure it was something that I felt needed to be said, as opposed to something I just wanted to spout off about. That post was edited no less than five times before I felt it was worthy of pressing the "post reply" button. Believe me, I was more than calm when it was finally submitted.

However, if the mods deem it inflammatory in any way, I'll be sure to remove it in it's entirety. That's not what I'm working for.

It would be nice to bring the thread back on topic, though.

With that said:

Since many of us downshift with full intentions of slowing to a stop, it may be beneficial to those interested to use a knob something like this one:



Or this one:



Albeit with a more appropriate label...

There's also this one, so you don't inappropriately hit the button:

[JacobAziza]

Seems to me the simplest way to both make and use a manual brake light switch would be to just adjust the point on the brake pedal where the light goes on. In other words, move the linkage so that the lights come on with a very light application of pedal, before the brakes actually engage.
Then the motion to activate is natural, plus no extra wiring is involved.
In fact, I already use the slack between light switch and brake pressure to alert people I'm going slow in both the truck and the motorcycle, without having had to adjust it any.
More often though I use the hazard lights in the truck. Simplest solution of all.