Getting rear ended sucks. Chances are it's happened to you, and maybe you've even done it to someone else. Quite often these fender-benders are caused when someone stops suddenly. If you happen to be paying attention close enough that you can stop in time to avoid the person in front of you, there's a good chance the person behind you wasn't, meaning you get creamed.
To improve auto safety in these kinds of situations, some students at Virginia Tech have developed a brake light system that could help make hard-stopping cars stand out from the steady red glow of the other cars, alerting absent-minded drivers that they need to get on the brakes.
The system uses a row of multi-colored LEDs to indicate the severity of the braking that a given driver is applying. Gentle pressure results in a yellow glow, while firm pressure means flashing red. In the luxury German car segment, it's already not uncommon to find cars that will automatically flash the hazard lights during a quick, panic stop. But, this hasn't exactly trickled down to the more economical autos out there.
Until then, keep your head up, put down the cell phone, and keep your eyes on the road.
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