I was recently in a rear-end total on my '15 TLX while sitting at a freeway ramp metering light and have purchased a tail light strobe kit. This kit strobes the brake lights for about 4 seconds when you brake, then keeps the lights steady on while applying brakes. I drive alot of freeway, 30K/yr, so I see a lot of panic stop situations in traffic. I'm thinking this kit might help, these are the units I bought:
Two questions: Anyone know of the legality of these in California?

I am thinking the taillight will need removing, which after loosening the two bolts on the assembly, the tail light seems to be hung up and won't come off. I've tried lightly pulling straight back and rocking laterally, no love.

Any ideas on removal?

 

Strobing brake lights are ILLEGAL. I know some cars offer them but its not a "strobe" its a "pulse" that just looks like a strobe cuz it goes so quick, so make sure you get one that is legal.

I saw an Acura dealership in Arizona when I went to college there and they offered the pulsing 3rd brake light as an option. The brand Acura dealt with was RED (Rear End Deterrent) and essentially you had to pay for the option but the companies policy was if you got rear ended with their product they would pay the deductible. Something to look into if you can have this company install it for you wherever you are. It will probably cost a bit more than the DIY Amazon thing you found however it would be legal, and they would pay your deductible in the event something happened.

OR get a brake light cover sticker like I did but just make it say "STOP" haha. See this link > https://acurazine.com/forums/5g-tlx-...ded%2A-944159/

 

Don't know about CA, but here in TX about 1/4 of the late-model cars and trucks seem to have the pulsing 3rd brake light (CHMSL). In fact, I've wondered if Toyota has made it standard, since every Toyota I see under 3 years old has it.

If you're talking about making ALL your stoplights strobe - or even pulse - I would think that would be illegal, since DOT (and probably State of CA) has certain requirements for stoplights.

Go with the pulsing CHMSL - it gets your attention pretty well.

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Sounds like the kind of light that would trigger my migraines. Especially at night. Some of these after market LED brake lights are crazy bright and hurt my night vision. That strobe sounds like the worse of both wrapped into one. 48W strobe light in my face at night?

Honestly I don't know what these stobing or pulsing lights are supposed to do. Rear end collisions are about people following too closely. By the time the brake light comes on the collision is already baked in the cake.

I try to manage the traffic behind me if I see an unsafe slowing coming up. Especially on highway slow downs. Years ago I was almost rear ended on a highway slow down. A big Cadillac coming up behind me way too fast and I managed to cut onto the shoulder as he braked right past where I was and almost hit the car in front of me. What I need is a remote controlled finger that would poke the driver behind me in the forehead along with one of theses saying..... "Get the ^%$# off your cell phone and drive!" "Pull your head out of your ass and pay attention" "Don't tailgate me ^%$#!"

I can put distance in front of me to the next car on the road so I have a deceleration gap. I also try to slow the guy behind me when I see traffic dramatically slowing down in front of me.

I don't think a strobing brake like is going to stop a distracted driver from rear ending you. Remember the third brake light was supposed to do the same. Maybe that does help in visibility since it is up high, but if they aren't looking it doesn't matter what the light looks like, they won't see it.

 

A pulsing 3rd brake light that's mounted up high like on the TLX might catch their attention. I know that the FCW flashing on my windshield has caught my attention a couple times when my eyes weren't on the road. Then again it's a lot closer than people's brake lights would be.

 

FYI

In California, any permitted Stop Lamp may be equipped so as to strobe/flash not more than four times within the first four seconds after activation by application of the brakes.

 

if the driver behind is not paying attention, no matter what kind of flashing lights you put on, it wont stop them from rear ending you.

fyi; rear bumper needs to be dropped in order to access tail lights. there's like a lip that's being caught on the rear bumper, thats why you cant get it off.

you can fully drop it, or you can half drop the bumper near the trunk...which ever is easiest for you to do

 

Agreed, a distracted driver will most likely not see strobing/pulsing brake lights either.

That being said I would not mess with the taillights. If you want that pulsating feature then just modify your high mount brake light.

 

Sounds like a recipe for electrical problems in the future by buying shitty modules like ijdm

 

If you look at pictures of the TLX tail-lamp you'll see the 2 screws that need to come off on the trunk edge:
2015 2016 Acura TLX Taillight Lamp Passenger RH Side | eBay

Doesn't look like anything else is in place, did you remove the bulbs?

 

For years I used this flash controller too flash a Whelen TIR3 as a third brake light on a motorcycle. It gets attention...It doesn't really matter what the driver is doing unless their eyes are closed. This controller is very small and could easily be used on the third stop lamp.

Universal Brake Light Flasher/Strober - M1 model [FLSHR_M1] - $19.95 : 3rd Brake Flasher Web Site

 

Years ago someone created a device similar to the strobe idea being discussed, but the difference was that the 3rd brake light would flash faster the harder the driver was braking, which helped the following driver realize the deceleration rate sooner than could be perceived without it. I don't remember why it never caught on. IMO that was a much better idea than just strobing on initial braking.

 

BMW uses adaptive brake lighting. My 760 has almost 5 brake lamps, 2 sides, 2 on the trunk and 1 high mount. Depending on how hard I brake the 2 inner ones on the trunk will light up to alert of panic/emergency braking.

 

there was a recent study, like this week, showing when people are texting they dont see!!!!!

because they are DISTRACTED looking down and not forward!


the study focused on why sometimes, when driving, we zone out, but nothing ever bad happens...why?
cuz we have almost like a sixth sense.

the study showed that when you're looking down and texting, we dont have this brain function of realizing whats around us.

it has to do with your hand eye coordination.

when texting, your eyes are not on the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TL;DR
if driver is distracted; they will still rear end you.