LED Rear lights -Why

DXP55

DXP55

DXP55

Soldato
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I was following a Volvo 4x4 today - the twin exhaust one with strips of LED lights down and across each side of tailgate.
Have to say though you could at least see them - Then suddenly the brake lights came on for what appeared to be no reason - It wasnt till I got up close and he took his foot off brake that I saw the right indicator flashing - I think it was a brake then indicate job - The rear lights were quite big and right in the middle was this tiny indicator. - Why can't they go back to a larger seperate indicator or even put them in bumpers again.
 
Bumpers are too low on the ground for anyone but the car behind to see.

But i do agree some placements of indicators amongst a brake light cluster are a bit silly. I do like the design of Audi's indicators where they pulse outwards, so pretty hard to mistake the car indicating.
 
Lots of car manufacturers still seem to be figuring out LED lighting, a lot of Land Rover/Range Rover stuff especially have terrible rear lights.

Semple said:
I do like the design of Audi's indicators where they pulse outwards, so pretty hard to mistake the car indicating.
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They're probably worse because it means you don't get full intensity until the stupid sequence is nearly finished. Indicators should be instant on, instant off.
 
TheVoice said:
Lots of car manufacturers still seem to be figuring out LED lighting, a lot of Land Rover/Range Rover stuff especially have terrible rear lights.



They're probably worse because it means you don't get full intensity until the stupid sequence is nearly finished. Indicators should be instant on, instant off.
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i see your point and seem to just look smart. I love mine but not convinced that its better for visibility.
 
TheVoice said:
They're probably worse because it means you don't get full intensity until the stupid sequence is nearly finished. Indicators should be instant on, instant off.
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I know what you mean, but they pulse pretty quickly (you're talking of fractions of a second between each stage). You'd have to be partially blind to miss them.
 
Indicators seem to have been mainly forgotten about both front and rear since the introduction of superbright lighting in general.
There are a lot of cars where the indicators are so washed out due to the LED headlamps/brake lights it's downright dangerous.

They need to introduce some separation distance between main lighting and indicators into the build regs in my opinion.
 
tom_e said:
Indicators seem to have been mainly forgotten about both front and rear since the introduction of superbright lighting in general.
There are a lot of cars where the indicators are so washed out due to the LED headlamps/brake lights it's downright dangerous.

They need to introduce some separation distance between main lighting and indicators into the build regs in my opinion.
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I don't think the front's should be an issue? I'm pretty certain on mine that the front light goes out / is dimmed when that side is indicating. Although not sure if that's only DRLs or if the normal lights also do that.

But i definitely agree at the rear. There's a road i cross in the morning, leading upto the junction is 3 lanes, but the 3rd lane actually turns into right-turn only (but there's very little signage), so whilst i'm waiting for the lights to change, i keep my indicator on and use the handbrake to hold rather than using the brakes (which we all normally do) because i know the brake lights are bright and might mask the indicator. I've seen a few close misses from drivers not realising that that lane is right-turn only and the cars are likely stationary when the other two lanes are moving.
 
Semple said:
I know what you mean, but they pulse pretty quickly (you're talking of fractions of a second between each stage). You'd have to be partially blind to miss them.
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It's still a delay though, which in a scenario like the OP's where the brakelights are already on means it takes longer to be noticed. One of the cited benefits of LED lights on vehicles was the instant-on (specifically for brakelights), so it's baffling that car manufacturers are now actively diminishing that effect. Save the fancy effects for locking/unlocking.

Semple said:
I don't think the front's should be an issue? I'm pretty certain on mine that the front light goes out / is dimmed when that side is indicating. Although not sure if that's only DRLs or if the normal lights also do that.
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Many cars don't dim the front DRLs when the indicators are on, and some (Nissan SUVs spring to mind) were still using halogen indicators but LED DRLs which is even worse.
 
I have seen DRLs dim when indicator was on and think that should be standard practice - I sat waiting for a car from left to pass at a T junc - when it got to me it's indicators were on to turn right - I did not see them at all otherwise I would have gone..
 
On what planet are you on where the response time of an indicator is perceived to be an issue :confused:

no idea what the comment about Range Rover rear lights refers to; have you not seen the new Range Rover? The Evoque and Velar look great too.
 
I don't really have anything to add here but every now and then I laugh at a particular era (not sure which) of BMW that has pink brake lights.
 
TheVoice said:
Lots of car manufacturers still seem to be figuring out LED lighting, a lot of Land Rover/Range Rover stuff especially have terrible rear lights.
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There's nothing worse than sitting behind a Range Rover at night where the driver's holding the car on the foot brake. It's like a pair of laser beams pointing directly into your retinas.

I pull down the sun visor and close my eyes. I can tell when the lights must have gone green by the lack of radiation burning into my skin.
 
Jonnycoupe said:
no idea what the comment about Range Rover rear lights refers to; have you not seen the new Range Rover? The Evoque and Velar look great too.
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The Discovery has (or had, perhaps fixed in the facelift) tiny brake lights despite the massive overall size of the clusters, and I think it's the Velar that has naff sequential indicators which are more visible to the side than the rear. Full fat RR doesn't have that issue.
 
TheVoice said:
The Discovery has (or had, perhaps fixed in the facelift) tiny brake lights despite the massive overall size of the clusters, and I think it's the Velar that has naff sequential indicators which are more visible to the side than the rear. Full fat RR doesn't have that issue.
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Ah yes very good point on Discovery. Awful.
 
I saw a Tesla Model 3 the other day and remember thinking why on earth are the rear indicators so small.

Where as mentioned VAG do it really well, front DRL’s dim and the indicator activates seamlessly whilst the rears are large, bright and the sweeping motion in my opinion exaggerates them.

My car has Autohold and whenever it engages my brake lights are illuminated blinding the poor person behind me despite my foot not being on the brake but I imagine this is the case with most modern cars nowadays, although the majority must be down to people with Auto’s left in D whilst stationary in traffic.
 
A lot of it seems to be form over function. But also penny pinching. Like with those single LED strips running along the rear on some cars now. It will be much cheaper to do that than make housing (but not for you when you need to replace them, since you can't simply swap a bulb lol).
 
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A few new models out now have the front and rear of the cars lit up like a Christmas tree with acreage of lights they have on them.
 
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