Turquoise taillights tell you this Mercedes is driving autonomously::California and Nevada have approved a test of the new light color.
Kinda wish we’d just leave blue (or off-variants like turquoise) lights for emergency vehicles only.
I like the idea of an indicator, just not the execution.
They legally can’t be blue which is why they chose turquoise.
Depends on the state. You must live in one of the relatively sane ones.
I live in Oklahoma, where it’s either legal or not enforced. Tow trucks, construction vehicles, you name it. Blue lights everywhere. And not turquoise or some other “technically not blue” loophole color, but like “they bought their overhead lights from a cop car manufacturer and stuck it on their roof as is” solid fucking blue.
I hate it.
If it’s a Mercedes, that will be a subscription value-add feature. It’s like Boeing with safety features being value-add.
Why not a colour that isn’t already on emergency vehicles? Why not green or purple, something that is clearly distinguishable?
Red and green are hard to distinguish by many color blind people.
As are blue/purple.
It was approved by the states where it is legal, aka california and nevada.
My buddy had a car with green and purple lights but was a restored hearse - like the Ghostbusters car - and it was fucking fabulous.
Oh boy, now when I get hit as a pedestrian I’ll know it was the car and not the rich person!
Would light placement be better like… Idk… Lit up license places, or wheel wells, or something? I guess not because some states already allow that stuff…
Blue bubbles
I feel this is just painting a target on self driving cars for luddites.
If the autopilot without turquoise lights does something dumb, the driver is just another idiot, oh well. If the autopilot with turquoise lights does something dumb, all self driving cars are the devil.
I could understand why this would be helpful on the front of a car, but I don’t understand why this would be helpful on the back of a car.
It’s a genuine thought, but it is that as it stands, autopilot may behave erratically and it would be good to inform drivers both in front and to the rear. Emergency collision avoidance brake systems are already known to trigger at random
For something that requires far more complex decisions a special colour light in the rear can alert other drivers that various maneuvers could be taken automatically, such as a decision to change into your lane, normally or in an emergency.
I guess I’m not seeing it as being all that different from emergency collision avoidance systems in cars with drivers in terms of drivers behind them. I hate to be dense about this, but I’m just not seeing why any of those maneuvers would make a difference to the driver behind the car driving autonomously if it was being driven by a human or not. Don’t you have to take the same actions regardless? I’m not suggesting Mercedes not do it. I’m sure people much smarter than me have figured out why this is important.
Maybe all cars with collision avoidance need to have these lights too?
Some indicator of automated collision avoidance (a small “AEB-equipped” sticker) would make sense for that.
The light would be to indicate the self-driving mode is active.
Emergency collision avoidance brake systems are already known to trigger at random
So? They also brake suddenly when a kid runs out onto the road in front of them. Anyone following should have enough of a space cushion to get hard on the brakes and avoid hitting them. Or at least avoid hitting them very hard.
If you plough into them at speed, you’ll push the stopped car forwards and kill the kid.
I mean I agree with what you’re saying, but the light is a helpful reminder to keep a safe distance away. I think AEB should have some sort of notice as well on the back of the car be it a logo, or “AEB-equipped” etc. Make it a size that if you can read it you’re too close.
