Rear-end crashes account for more than 29 percent of all crashes; these types of crashes often result from a failure to respond (or delays in responding) to stopped or decelerating lead vehicles (NHTSA, 2007). The work described here is part of a larger program of research intended to develop and evaluate rear signaling applications designed to reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes by redirecting drivers’ visual attention to the forward roadway (for cases involving distracted drivers), and/or increasing the saliency or meaningfulness of the brake signal (for attentive drivers). This study quantified the attention-getting capability of a set of candidate rear brake lighting configurations, including proposed approaches from automotive companies. This study was conducted to provide data for use in a simulation model to assess the effectiveness and safety benefits of enhanced rear brake light countermeasures. This Vehicle Safety Research Note is a summary of the technical research report, Evaluation of Enhanced Brake Lights Using Surrogate Safety Metrics. Task 2 & 3 Report: Development of a Rear Signaling Model and Work Plan for Large Scale Field Evaluation. (DOT HS 811 329). This report can be downloaded free of cost on the Vehicle Safety Research section of NHTSA’s Web site (http://www.nhtsa.gov). (Author/publisher)
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