New scooter safety device w/video.

[Bluefront]

I just thought of a new safety feature that could be rigged up on many of these scoots......as a better warning device for people who might be turning in front of you.

I propose linking the horn and the high-beam flasher......hitting either button would activate both devices at the same time. I could do it with my present wiring setup on my Xingyue.

Anybody think of any objections to such a setup? I don't think it would pose any legal problems, since the use of either device is OK. If I go ahead with this idea, I'll post the details here.

And with a little more thinking on this.....it would be easier to make both the flasher and the horn work with the horn button only. That way you could activate the flasher without the horn beeping. Some wires and a diode would be all the parts required (I think).

[WarrenS]

I don't care what device you use, it will not keep people from turning in front of you. Even emergency vehicles with their sirens and flashing lights going get there space infringed on. I saw an ambulance coming and heard his siren from many blocks away. Then I watched as a semi with a long trailer made a left turn right in front of him. Your safety depends on you. Depending on others to look out for you is putting your fate in the hands of others.

[Bluefront]

Nobody in his right mind will tell you that any scooter safety device will prevent accidents with cars. But the single biggest reason car drivers give for causing a cycle or scooter accident...."I didn't see him".

That's why the more lights the better......flashing, blinking, pulsing lights all help, as do loud horns and the Harley riders say "loud pipes". Anything that makes your ride more visible like bright colors, reflective stuff, brightly colored clothes and helmets, etc.

I can't really flash my brights and beep my loud horn at the same time on this scoot. It's not physically possible, and control the scooter and maybe brake....all at once.

Electrically linking the horn with a flashing bright light would certainly make you more visible, audibly and visually. I haven't decided if I should flash the high beams, or my recently installed fog/running lights. I'm beginning to think flashing the fogs might be more noticeable.

[Bluefront]

Got the thing wired up this morning......it requires one relay that has a "normally-closed" circuit. This circuit is wired into the 12V wire to the fog lights. So the fog lights work normal till you beep the horn.....the lights flash off till you let off the horn button, at which time they come back on. A series of short beeps would make the lights flash on/off.

But I got a little fancy.....I wired an LED pulser in the system. When the fog lights come back on, they pulse quickly, twenty times in two seconds. Then the lights stay on normally. Now when I beep the horn, the lights flash off, followed by a two second quick pulsing. If you keep beeping the horn, the lights stay flashing/pulsing.

Here's a little video showing the whole thing.....anybody want to attempt this mod, ask any questions. I stuffed a towel in the horn so it's not too loud.

.....a Bluefront original invention (I think).

That video shows up pretty poor and you can barely see the pulsing.....but it's quite visible.

Oh.....since these fog lights are on an on/off switch, if you flip that switch back and forth, the fog lights flash/pulse without the horn beeping. And if you leave the fog lights off, the horn works normal without flashing anything.

And.....if you don't have fog lights, and would want your headlight(s) to flash off/on with the horn, you would only need to wire the headlight ground wire(s) through the "normally-closed" relay. You might not be able to use that pulsar however.....Normal lights don't turn on/off fast enough to pulse very well. I'm using LED fog lights here.