Improved Hazard Lights for Cars Are on the Way
Hazard lights were first invented more than 60 years ago, which means this car part is long overdue for an update. A new company, Emergency Safety Solutions, is seeking to improve hazard lights to help prevent injuries and fatalities related to disabled vehicle incidents. Here’s what you should know about ESS’s Hazard Enhanced Emergency Lighting (H.E.L.P.) system.
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A solution to help curb disabled vehicle collisions
The company’s H.E.L.P. system promises to improve roadside safety by minimizing collisions related to disabled vehicles. At the time of writing, 52,136 victims have been involved in disabled vehicle crashes in the U.S. just this year alone, as ESS confirms. And between 2016 and 2018, an estimated 71,693 people were involved in low conspicuity crashes involving stationary and disabled vehicles each year, according to a new study from Impact Research Inc.
More details about the new hazard light design
ESS’s new hazard light design drastically improves visibility when a vehicle becomes disabled. Per Car and Driver’s Sebastian Blanco, the new lights activate when the driver presses a dashboard button once. The driver must press the button twice to trigger the faster flashing mode. Though, if the airbags deploy, the system will automatically engage the hazard lights.
The increased flashing rate of the lighting system promises to help save lives, as the company’s co-founder and COO Stephen Powers articulates. “When you flash a red or amber light faster than 4 Hz, or four times per second, human beings pick that up in our peripheral vision.”
A safer (and flashier) future
Currently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reviewing ESS’s hazard light design proposal. Per Blanco, the company hopes to have the design approved before the year is out.
It’s worth noting that some automakers have already expressed interest in incorporating ESS’s H.E.L.P. system into their lineups. Though, as Powers confirms, 2021 is the earliest the new hazard lights would be available for industry implementation.
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Whitney Russell resides in Dayton, though her spirit can be found beach-bumming in Puerto Rico (the land of her half-Puerto Rican heritage). When not crafting car-related content, she can be found chasing after the most amazing toddler in the world, watching her “beaver” of a husband build amazing woodworking projects, hanging out with two crazy dogs, and visiting family and friends. She also enjoys traveling, crafting, and binge-watching period dramas when time allows. See more articles by Whitney.