The Design and Assessment of Attention-Getting Rear Brake Light Signals

This paper summarizes work intended to further characterize and develop rear brake light signals likely to improve driver reaction to hard-braking lead-vehicle events, emphasizing unique and novel approaches not previously studied. The work developed optimized signal lighting configurations, including specifications for LED signal approaches (flash frequencies, brightness levels, patterns), and performed field evaluations to assess eye-drawing capability of candidate signals for drivers who were looking away from the forward view. Results indicate that newer rear signaling designs can be very effective at drawing drivers’ eyes back to the forward roadway, and that flashing and brightness are two important signal properties moderating effectiveness (attention-getting). Remarkable performance gains can be achieved via use of LED signal approaches which both flash and increase signal intensity or lamp brightness.