So maybe I’m totally off-base on this, but the thought occurred to me while slowing to a stoplight today. Assuming the brake lights don’t go on when you lift your foot from the accelerator pedal and regenerative braking kicks in, isn’t there less warning to drivers behind you...especially tailgaters? The car is slowing as if you hit the brakes, but no brake lights.
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The brake lights do come on for regenerative braking.
skitown
Member
If you look carefully at the 'toy car' on your dash screen you can see the brake lights come on when you regen. I can't remember the amount/force required to get the lights to come on - but it's not binary. You can feather regen and keep them from coming on - and sometimes, I feel like I need to feather less (i.e. regen harder) when stopping w/a car behind me as I want them to see my speed reducing. I'm mindful of it and think folks should be too; so your question is a good one, IMO.
i had the same concern ... the the brake lights do not come on consistently when your foot is removed from accelerator... i find myself in heavy traffic using the brake to ensure brake lights are seen by tailgaters....which in NYC is unfortunately a major problem... I would guess not so much in Central Idaho
skitown
Member
Upon reflection, it would be interesting to have a regen brake light sensitivity setting that we could select. It could be a slider:
New York City <---> Central Idaho
LOL
Then again, in Central Idaho one is likely to simply be destroyed by an F250 rear ending you at full speed vs. a 'round town fender bender.
New York City <---> Central Idaho
LOL
Then again, in Central Idaho one is likely to simply be destroyed by an F250 rear ending you at full speed vs. a 'round town fender bender.
My wife was following me the day I picked up the car and she confirmed that the brake lights did come on every time I slowed down. She also said they looked pretty cool too!
detlefo
Member
I remember a post from an Italian driver way back in in 2013 or 14. He wanted to know if he could disable the brake lights coming on with regenerative braking. Apparently it is a point of pride to drive without hitting the brake on curving mountain roads. The constant brake lights made him look like a putz. A simple way to see the brake light behavior is to turn on the back camera at night and drive.
Profile PIC is also a long term goalSpeaking of NYC @Zero CO2 - I think you're cheating w/your profile pic. That looks like my hood!
Brian-MS90D
Member
I think Tesla's may be more prone to being rear ended because we tend to brake/regen sooner in order to take as much advantage of regen as possible. Most ICE drivers wait until the last moment to brake (I know I wait longer to brake in my ICE car). In other words, we are beginning to stop before traditional drivers begin to stop and before traditional drivers - behind us - expect us to be slowing.
are cars with manual transmissions prone to being rear ended? I don't know the data but I think not. the brake lights usually do come on when there is X amount of regen. if you are concerned just use the brakes to slow down and the lights will come on.
I actually wait longer to take my foot off the accelerator due to the greater amount of regen available with the Tesla compared to the Leaf. If you only "partially" lift your foot, you can keep the brake lights from coming on (not that you really want that). BTW, early on there were a significant number of rear endings reported on My Nissan Leaf back in 2011/12. So, yes, this is a concern, but probably much less than other EVs.
What you meant to write is, 'we are beginning to SLOW down before traditional drivers begin to stop and before traditional drivers - behind us - expect us to be slowing'
if that is the case it should be help in not getting rear ended, because abrupt braking is the main reason for getting rear ended
I have the opposite concern. I worry about road rage from someone who thinks that I am "brake-checking" them when I slightly lift in my Model S.
As an ICE driver I immediately lift my foot when the light changes red in front of me. I then coast until I need to apply the brakes to stop. This is pretty much the way I was taugh to drive - it puts the least wear on the car, and uses the least gas.
I feel that this will change once I get my MS, and that i will "feather" the throttle longer but probably start regen before I used to start braking. Time will tell (hopefully not too much longer.)
I feel that this will change once I get my MS, and that i will "feather" the throttle longer but probably start regen before I used to start braking. Time will tell (hopefully not too much longer.)
I am glad I am not the only one who feels this way. I drive mosly manual transmission cars and take great pride in my skill of hardly ever using the brakes. Now it is embarrasing to see the brake lights come on in my MS like any other binary automatic transmission driver, even though I am not actually using my brakes. I would love to disable the brake lights when I am not actually pressing the brake pedal.
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