Most accidents involving backwards-moving vehicles occur the moment the vehicle starts to move, rather than after the vehicle has already been moving for a while*.

Therefore, it would be prudent for the warning beeps to start earlier -- when the driver puts his/her hand anywhere near the shift knob, as opposed to only after the vehicle is already in reverse. If the driver removes his/her hand without shifting, the beeping stops. Cheap stick-on sensors would be easy to install.

It could even be a different kind of beeping, indicating "Warning - this vehicle may be about to change direction." This could prevent forward-going accidents as well (e.g. by people who are in front of a truck and assume it'll continue moving backwards away from them.)

* Source: I made it up.
-- phundug, May 02 2008

I think you need to check your sources.
-- WcW, May 03 2008


What did you back into?

If only you could expand this into involuntary turn signals.
-- normzone, May 03 2008


I'm thinking of putting a sign on my truck that says: "Warning: this vehicle may or may not move in any given direction at any given time." I figure that way anybody I run over has only themself to blame.
-- Alterother, May 06 2008


I think you mean "Warning: this vehicle may or may not move in any given direction at any given time (laws of Physics permitting)." - I mean it's hardly likely to move downwards into the road surface is it?
-- hippo, May 06 2008


Well if he's an owner/driver wanting to earn more $, and overload his truck, he may very well move downwards
-- g00r, May 06 2008


Presumably, the beeping starts when the gear goes into reverse, which is presumably before the driver takes his foot off the brake. That's not enough warning?

I think the real safety feature here is adding reverse beeping to all vehicles, including family cars.
-- DrCurry, May 06 2008


After a while all of this reverse beeping will be disregarded the same way we tend to disregard car alarms. "...beep...beep..beep...Oh don't mind that truck. He's probably not backing up."
-- Jscotty, May 06 2008


Thoroughly disagree with that - do you ignore turn signals just because some people leave them on too long?
-- DrCurry, May 06 2008



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