Hot Rods Why get hit in the rear end?

Another horrific rear-end crash reported on the HAMB, and only one post mentioning a collision avoidance light. Why don't more of us with chopped, channelled, lowered, dropped, flat-black cars have third brake lights?

 

I don't get why third brakes lights work. I know studies show that they decrease the number of rearend collisons. But, if somebody doesn't see the first two brake lights, why would they see a third? Is it related to the old advertising rule that you have to see an ad three times to remember it?

 

If some dipshit piles into the back of your car while sending a text message, a third brake light wasn't going to prevent the wreck. Third brake lights are ugly street rod shit.

 

I don't even like 'em on modern new cars and trucks. They're redundant.

 

people are stupid. they are texting and doing everything else except watching where they are going. in the corner of thier eye in the back of thier minds they are looking for giant bright brake lights, the quickly approaching car is not enough to make them stop.

one bulb on each side in our old cars is not as easy to see. evidentally though getting rear ended is OK so long as your car is "cool". don't believe me? find the thread full of haters where someone spoke of LED tail lights.

 

Because they look dorky. They add weight and complexity (although, not much). I doubt if they are effective. The initial tests were of fleets of taxis that had a universal mount truck taillight mounted on the trunk and were successful in reducing collisions. However, I think that they worked during tests because they were unusual and attracted attention. Now that virtually all vehicles have them I would think that they are not effective. Sometimes they are helpful if they're located on the roof of a tall vehicle -- then they can be seen above the normal cars following -- but this wouldn't apply to putting one on a chopped, lowered car.

 

too many people driving with their head up their ass..thats what is causing this..

3rd brake light or not..that Vickey was going to get nailed, it comes down to the criminal negligence of the driver allowing themselfs to be disracted.

in order for them to learn a lesson in "watch where the fuck your going" they should be ordered to pay this familys medical costs and complete cost to have that car rebuilt or another one just like it.....NOW!


i have a solution to the ugly 3rd brake light, i just havent tested it in the field yet..if it works you will see it (only if i show it to you) if i install it in my 28 A build

 

Why have a horn or emergency brakes? By the time it takes you to blow the horn its is usually too late and most horns are not loud enough. We also have brakes on four corners so why add another brake.

 

horns are to wake up the other driver and make them look so they can see your middle finger.

 

exactly

 

The third brake lights on new cars are supposed to be more in the "line of sight" of most drivers and maybe they have prevented some accidents. I don't know, I don't have the statistics. I think most driver's have become somewhat "jaded" to them for lack of a better term, sorta like daytime running lights. When they first appeared a few yrs. back, people seemed to notice them. Now I'm not sure they do. The plain and simple fact is, we've become a society of amped up, caffeine saturated, impatient, inconsiderate, me-centered, get the hell out of my way people (HAMBers excluded of course) and all the collision avoidance lights in the world (how many can you put on the back of your vehicle?) wont stop the carnage.

 

I gotta agree with skidsteer. I was following a friends '32 coupe to a car show several years ago, he runs '39 teardrop lights on it. I could not see his brake lights at all (during the day). Bright yellow car and red lights, you'd think you would be able to see them ... nope. I had to basically stare at his car the entire trip because I knew his brakelights were NOT going to notify me of anything. I never forgot that. I added a 3rd light to my old '70 Nov (a slit in the trunklid just above the lock mechanism) and have also added a 3rd brakelight to my '38 Olds coupe (flushmount just below the two rear windows). Sure there are a lot of people texting, yapping, scratching etc and maybe a third brakelight won't be enough to wake those people up but I am worried about the people that ARE paying attention but the lights some of us run are just too small to notice. My '38 tail lights are small and because of that I feel a lot better having that third light on my car. Obviously this is only my opinion ... One other thing (I got my ass chewed out over this one before) I also think it is a smart idea to run with headlights ON at all times ... doesn't change the look of the car, doesn't cost anything and it might ... just MIGHT make me a little more noticable. The OEM's do it for a reason right.

 

I think large spikes mounted on the back toward the approaching driver might be an effective deterent.

 

I can agree with the OP as to they can be effective. my pontiac has two old single bulb tail / brake lights. they are not much brighter when you hit the brakes than they are when you just have the lights on.

LED's on the other hand are SUPER bright..... when I built my chopper I has a single 6" row of LED's attached to the license plate, and when you hit the brakes WOW it was bright.

I think the 3rd brake light, or even original housings modified with something brighter can sometimes help... I'm not saying it will ALWAYS make a difference, but I've seen quite a few old cars that you can barely tell they even hit the brakes, because the tail lights are so dim.

yes,,, the younger people expect to see a REALLY BRIGHT brake light because that is what they are use to.... liking it or agreeing with it won't change the fact that they EXPECT a noticably bright light to indicate you have hit the brakes........

I havent fixed the brake lights on my car yet... but I'm going to come up with something that makes them alot brighter.

I also agree,,, they should have to pay medical and replacement,, but SHOULD and DO are two different things. I have a good personal friend that got rear ended on his bike, 2 weeks in the hospital and a totaled vintage indian scout..... when he got out of the hospital he was informed that the person that hit him was an illegal alien and had been deported back to mexico.... NO insurance, NO license.... NO way to get any money out of anyone.

anything I can do to avoid that situation is ok with me.

 

I'm going with a flame thrower.

 

Here is a tip to brighten up tail lights so others can see them: Spray paint the inside of the light housing white or silver, it reflects the light of the bulb making it much brighter --and then you won't need a third light.

Aftermarket light housing are usually painted black inside and out. The black absorbs the light instead of reflecting it out the lens.

 

I put one on my "Traditional Rod" right after Ryan's '34 got hit in the rear end.

 

That's a special case, though. '39 teardrops are notorious for this.

 

I'm thinking of adding a horn under my rear bumper that faces the text-happy idiots following me... a nice LOUD one.

 

i installed a triple train horn facing rearward...and a good mirror to see em comin

 

Very good points made by everyone. I've put "bright bulbs" in both of my hot rods. It has helped to make my brake lights more visible. I still get very nervous when people tailgate or come flying up too fast behind me. Haven't made the move to a 3rd brake light yet. I did try the LED bulbs but found them to be only minimally brighter than the "bright bulbs" and they had a much narrower point of focus than conventional "round" bulbs with the "bright bulb" filaments.

 

It does piss me off that states like mine have laws against texting while driving that are hustled through legislature quickly in wake of a horrific accident, but never, ever enforced! If you were to walk down the street with a shotgun in any major city, you would instantly be a "person of interest", whether it was loaded or not. "Drive" a 3800lbs vehicle down the road texting while screwing around with your built in G.P.S. and adjusting those tiny F***ING buttons on the radio, and your just a busy, normal, multitasking person. Something is not right here!!! Both are weapons, one used with intent, the other used without intent, but the results are often the same.

 

I honestly don't think a 3rd brake light would help in the accident,,a car sitting still at a big RED LIGHT and gets plowed into means somebody ain't got their eye on the road. HRP

 

They help at night because a light comes on that wasn't on before. I gave in and put a third brake light on my modified. I found an LED light the size of an ink pen. I figured it would'nt hurt since the fuel tank is right behind my head. I also put 1156's in my model A taillights, considerably brighter than what came in them.

 

Another option for the dual fillament 1157 is the brighter 2157 bulb.

 

Maybe I'm not following what you're saying. You already have TWO other lights coming on that weren't on before. How does making it three help? (And, that's not even counting that big red traffic light that came on in the first place to cause you to stop.)

I've got third brake lights on my modern daily drivers, and I don't see much difference in the number of idiots jamming on the brakes behind me while I'm stopped at traffic lights.

 

More on point, I have to say that my car has had a third brake light mounted in the stock deck lid always, It was stock on '48 Plymouth. (actually it was the brake light, and down on the fenders were running lights) It still hasn't prevented my car from being rear ended twice now. I was one of the people called a "pussy" and non-traditionalist for mentioning L.E.D.s a couple of weeks ago on that post, but they do help. And, if you can see them through my stock, ruby red taillight lenses, and are offended, feel free to call me what ever names you want... But be warned, I've been known to be pretty unpleasant when rubbed the wrong way!

 

I'm all for LED's!

 

--for not being bright enough.

Paint the inside of your '39 housings silver, problem solved.

The '32 Ford --it's the Pinto of the 30's. Did you see all that gas everywhere in the video?