My Nissan Leaf Forum

By adding a green LED to the red LEDs, one could get:
1. Green - gaining speed
2. off - steady speed
3. Yellow (Green & Red) - slowing slightly
4. Red - slowing significantly
5. rapid-flashing Red - major braking

Having #3 would typically give a following car almost an extra second of warning.
Yes, a law change would be required.

The key to me is that slightly vs major has to be based on accelerometers, GPS, or RPM style speed indicators not pedal travel/brake activation/throttle position. I.E. I want all 5 of those modes to behave the same no matter what my foot is doing. It's all about relative speed not whether or not brakes are involved.

i agree with Gary, this should be the system required now. now will color blindness play a part and should color schemes be changed? so we need someone who knows this first hand to chime in.

I'm no expert on color blindness (or much of anything else ), but I've noticed that most "green" traffic signals these days are not green at all, but more of a cyan color. I assume this change was made to address the red/green color blindness problem.

Ray

I want a way for other drivers to know that I am actually fueling my vehicle as I drive. If I want them to know I am slowing down I can and do touch my brake pedal. I think a power gaining gadget would promote the EV movement, and when people don't understand what it is, they will ask questions. I see that as a positive. Small enough lights wouldn't be distracting to other drivers, but CA Vehicle code being what it is I can see there being an issue with it. A sign in the back window that lights up would likely be a no-no too. Have to research the VC to see if a gauge of some kind would be ok. Perhaps a video screen positioned for the "back seat" that shows the energy use screen enlarged by 10 would work. As far as I know the video screens in the back of SUV's playing movies isn't prohibited yet, although it may be soon. Wonder how big a screen I could fit back there...

I think the people who this would reach (who don't already know about regeneration and are objective thinkers) is very small. For them to recognize what they green light means would require thought and some understanding of physics which sadly few have in the US. Look at all those people who think there is benefit from adding a magnet to their gas line or generating hydrogen from the alternator and feeding it into the fuel or adding a little solar panel to the spoiler of the Leaf or ... I could go on but I'll stop there. This will not change the minds of those who deny the negative effects of our energy consumption and they will just see this as a sign saying "stupid smug tree-hugging hippy commie on board." Most don't give a rat's ass why you are not rushing up to that stop light - they just know you are inconveniencing them and how they want to drive. IMO, the best thing we can do to promote the vehicle is to quietly use them and thus demonstrate that it simply isn't big deal. Eventually they will start thinking about that $.02 per mile cost of operation and how nice it would be to wake each morning with a full tank without ever going to a gas station but if we try to cram it down their throats they will just dig their heels in and rationalize with the stuff they hear on Fox.

The color difference you mention may be due to the shift from incandescent to LED lights in traffic signals. LEDs only really come in certain wavelengths, and none of them will perfectly match a white incandescent with a green filter in front of it.

Colorblind people learn to recognize each light by their positions within the signals themselves. That's why there are regulations as to the order of signal colors (including arrows, etc.). Some places even use different shapes for each color (I've seen this in some areas in Canada).

I like this idea... Have nearly been hit a few times while doing a legal U-turn because the other driver assumed I would just be turning left instead of making a U-turn. Having a standard of a double blink might have helped... but some drivers will still be clue-less.

I don't think you give the average person enough credit. Americans are among the most intelligent people on the earth. You may not realize that from our media, but it is true none the less. Many people are too busy and are still not aware that electric cars are on the road - that does not make them stupid, it means they are ignorant. Ignorance can be cured.

that's the bumper sticker on my LEAF