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Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

jalopnik.com

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Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#231

Post by PaulHoule »

On my drawing board I've conceived an LED matrix sign to go in the back window of my car.

That could do a good job of turn signals, warnings for tailgaters, etc. I think putting up a message like "I support my local police department" might lead me to getting stopped.

One trouble I see is that the view out the back would be partially obscured, Probably the light strips would spaced such that 50% or so of light could get through, but if the strips were lit up either by themselves or something else contrast would be impaired. It would probably be OK with a rear-view camera but I wouldn't want to argue about that with the cops.

So for now I'll stick with a single LED strip mounted on the side that can replace my car's image with a McLaren F1 if somebody looks at it at just the right time in the right way.

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#233

Post by misnome »

mthoms wrote: post #181

Mini’s statement only highlights the absurdity (emphasis mine): >With regard to the turn indicator light pattern, there should be no trouble at all for a driver to understand, when seeing the full rear of the car , which direction is being indicated So what about when you can only see half of the car? Like when it’s changing lanes or pulling out of a parking spot? You know, like those times when a signal is MOST usef…

This is what I _hate_ about the Audi striping indicators. Yes, they are actually useful when you see them when they are indicating.

However, when they have the hazard lights on, they still stripe. So if it's still and you can't see the left indicator, it feels like a very strong statement that they are trying to move out.

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#234

Post by billh »

japhyr wrote: post #144
sircastor wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got really frustrated when I started to see 3 rapid flashes when a Toyota or Kia driver put on the brakes on the Highway. What had been a common signal for “you’re a little too close” was now shown every time the driver pressed the brake pedal. I guess I could’ve complained to one of the manufacturers, but what do they care? I’m not buying their cars.

This is the Pulse[0] "safety system". I was trying to buy a new truck this spring, and going through the back-and-forth of talking to a number of dealers. I had a vehicle specced out, and ready to commit to, and I asked to review the final paperwork. There was a $400 charge listed that hadn't been disclosed earlier. I was frustrated because I'd asked numerous times, "Am I going to see any additional charges on the fi…

Pulse has a "Gross Margin Analysis" spreadsheet published (probably unintentionally) on their website[1]. It shows that they're charging dealerships $59.00 for the part and it installs in about 15 minutes.

At a 500% markup, it feels less about your safety and more about the dealerships/pulseprotects income safety.

1. (warning xls) https://www.pulseprotects.com/wp-content/uploads/Pulse-Prote...

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#235

Post by tannhaeuser »

sircastor wrote: post #30
MerelyMortal wrote: post #6

> Mini has not heard any concerns from customers regarding the rear turn indicators I wouldn't expect them to: they cannot see their own turn signal lights while driving. If they happen to be behind another Mini, they already know about it and it may not throw them off-guard like others who aren't familiar with it.

I got really frustrated when I started to see 3 rapid flashes when a Toyota or Kia driver put on the brakes on the Highway. What had been a common signal for “you’re a little too close” was now shown every time the driver pressed the brake pedal. I guess I could’ve complained to one of the manufacturers, but what do they care? I’m not buying their cars.

> 3 rapid flashes [...] a common signal for "you’re a little too close"

That's new to me as EU driver. What I tend to do is hit brakes three or more times in a rhythmic fashion to signal there's traffic jam ahead; specifically on Autobahn where speeds go high with distances often way too low, instead of turning on alarm blinkers.

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#236

Post by Johnny555 »

I just checked our new 2022 Mini SE EV, and fortunately, it doesn't have this design. The turn signal is more like a T rotated 90 degrees with the vertical bar towards the inside of the car.

But I do wish it had amber turn signals, I don't know why the USA doesn't make that the standard since it removes all ambiguity with the brake light.

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#238

Post by SkeuomorphicBee »

thiht wrote: post #216
mthoms wrote: post #181

Mini’s statement only highlights the absurdity (emphasis mine): >With regard to the turn indicator light pattern, there should be no trouble at all for a driver to understand, when seeing the full rear of the car , which direction is being indicated So what about when you can only see half of the car? Like when it’s changing lanes or pulling out of a parking spot? You know, like those times when a signal is MOST usef…

> So what about when you can only see half of the car? Like when it’s changing lanes or pulling out of a parking spot? You know, like those times when a signal is MOST useful? You either see which side of the car you're seeing, or you don't and the shape of the light doesn't matter. When you drive, you don't interpret the light of the turn signal, you interpret where it is. For me that's one thing that looks stupid o…

> When you drive, you don't interpret the light of the turn signal, you interpret where it is.

That is not true, you only interpret "where it is" because there is no other information encoded in the light itself, when seeing a regular car with a plain signal you do interpret where it is. But in service cars (police car, ambulances, road maintenance trucks), large truck, or static light signaling, we frequently have special purpose lights with a meaning encoded in the light itself, and in those cases the position is irrelevant, the meaning is 100% in the icon used, so all drivers are already primed to interpret an arrow shaped light as an arrow. Now, those service vehicles don't have those special purpose lights in places were they could be ambiguously interpreted as a turn signal, so there is no problem there, but that Mini turn signal is quite unsettling, it sends two conflicting messages (position vs iconography), and that is BAD in traffic.

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#239

Post by Johnny555 »

lmilcin wrote: post #12
MerelyMortal wrote: post #6

> Mini has not heard any concerns from customers regarding the rear turn indicators I wouldn't expect them to: they cannot see their own turn signal lights while driving. If they happen to be behind another Mini, they already know about it and it may not throw them off-guard like others who aren't familiar with it.

> they cannot see their own turn signal lights while driving. You are supposed to inspect your car at least from time to time. This includes walking over to see your turn signals work correctly.

I check my lights by turning them on and watching the glow on the garage door in front and wall behind the car.

But with the advent of LED's, I suspect that fewer and fewer people are checking their lights since they rarely fail without physical damage.

Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever

#240

Post by billh »

MerelyMortal wrote: post #227
japhyr wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the Pulse[0] "safety system". I was trying to buy a new truck this spring, and going through the back-and-forth of talking to a number of dealers. I had a vehicle specced out, and ready to commit to, and I asked to review the final paperwork. There was a $400 charge listed that hadn't been disclosed earlier. I was frustrated because I'd asked numerous times, "Am I going to see any additional charges on the fi…

It's extremely distracting while driving, and if more cars adopt that, then everyone will be worse off. I wish they were illegal (and I wonder if they technically are, because flashing means that for a brief second the light is off while the pedal is being pressed, and I have to imagine the law is written that the brake light must be lit when the brake pedal is pressed).

Flashing red lights are generally illegal and reserved for emergency vehicles. Pulse skirts this by claiming it's not a flashing light, but a pulsing one.

"Pulse is the only pulsing third brake light that meets regulatory requirements for use in all 50 states. Step on the brake pedal and Pulse goes to work pulsing, rather than flashing, the third brake light. What’s the difference? NHTSA regulations restrict flashing lights to emergency vehicles. Our award winning rear-end collision deterrent technology causes the third brake light to remain steady burning, even while the light pulses."

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