The auto industry learned years ago, the importance of "heads up" braking indicator lights. As cars vans and SUVs gain in size and ground clearance, drivers are less focused on the usual low mounted lighting, and you have to hit them in the face to get their attention.

The biking industry is beginning to acknowledge this safety factor, but as of yet, is still a bit puzzled as to how to go about it.

There are several innovative "systems" and modules already on the market that enhance your current rear lighting, or add to it, but few, if any of them actually pay attention to the height factor. Simply adding a blinking light to the tag bracket does not significantly raise the line of sight to the attention getting strobe, and its luminance is somewhat diminished by the primary brake light itself. If you want to get noticed, put the light in their face and point it straight at them!

Some modulator systems use an intermittent steady and blinking light to draw attention, but this can also give misleading signals to the commuters behind you. Try following one of these sometime, and you will see what I mean. Its hard to tell if the rider is braking on and off, or steady holding and this can be important information to a follower.

I have had countless comments on my own version of the attention getting brake light, which is a very simple mix of inexpensive components, and a little thought process. A simple LED strip of 3" to 6", mounted high on the bike, either on a tour pack or backrest, wired through a simple automotive flasher relay, to the brake light wire under the seat, puts a "no mistake about it" fast strobing brake right in the eyes of the guy behind you!

By mounting the light strip onto a backrest, you put it right in the line of sight to the driver behind you. Mounting to a backrest pad is as simple as drilling three small holes in the back (two for mounting screws and one for wiring), then fishing the wiring through the foam padding and out the bottom of the cover. You can then hide the wiring from the pad by fastening it along the inside surface of your sissy bar.

You can get 3" or 6" LED strips in either chrome base or black base, from Signal Dynamics for around $40, and you can buy a "smart" turn signal flasher from any auto discount store for under $10 (the kind that flashes rapidly if one light is out). By wiring the LED strip through the flasher to the brake light wire, the flasher will think that a light is out, and will rapid flash your LED when the brakes are applied.

Now let's add a level of surprise to the already VERY noticeable strobe light. Signal Dynamics strips come wired for tail and brake lights. DO NOT WIRE THE TAIL LIGHT. For best results, you want the strobe to remain in "stealth" mode until the brakes are applied, for maximum attention. Secondly, using a strip with a BLACK base will further enhance the "stealth" mode.

SNAKE-MAIL