Rapidly Blinking (Strobe) Driving and Tail Lights

What you're seeing is the beat frequency of the refresh rate of the lights and the sample rate of the video stream. They are not locked or synced to each other and you see the visual artifact. Sometimes on the freeway the refresh rate is so bad (slow) on some cars, you'll same artifacts with just your eyes scanning the tail lights ahead. Certain Cadillacs in particular come to mind...

SV

 

In non-tech speak, the flashing you see on the videos you mention is not a real feature and cannot be "enabled." Another video artifact similar to this is the strobe effect you see on videos of helicopters or prop-driven planes. Even when turning at take-off speeds, the blades can be made to look like they are standing still or rotating at insanely low speeds or even counter to their actual direction of rotation.

 

I was at the Ferrari racing school in COTA earlier this week. The rapid flashing of the driving and brake lights occurs under heavy braking.

 

On the standard 458 brake lights? Or on the "phone pad" on backs of 488 and F12?

 

On the front driving and brake lights of the 488 and F12. There was a braking exercise where you could see the front driving lights flash rapidly during hard braking. On the track there were lead/follow exercises with the instructor. The flashing brake lights indicated extreme braking.

My understanding is this is a standard safety feature on European cars. I believe Ferrari included this feature with the US delivered cars.

The "phone pad" never lit up on the track.

 

The "phone pad" is the fog light. On the rotary light switch, it's the button. On, or off.

The flashing hazard lights can be selected off the car Setup menu. They activate under heavy braking (I think it's a combination of brake pressure or negative g), the idea is it signals cars behind you that you are braking VERY hard, so they might want to slow down. (we tend to notice flashing lights more than steady, even bright, lights).

(FWIW, on the dark parkways around here, I will do this manually in our other cars, just so people notice the brake lights ahead of them)

On Top Gear (and other "high end productions") the rapidly strobing reflections are just that - the camera capture rate goes asynchronous with any lighting; it can be set up and done on purpose and adds some very cool features to a film. It can also be amplified by the actual use of strobe lights.... It's one of the reasons Top Gear was (is) so expensive to film, they do full productions, not just a guy and his handheld HD mini-cam. Remember most of the lights/reflectors on the car are just that - really good reflectors.

I do know a few people who have installed Whelen lights and fast flashers and strobes (I.e. police lights) for effect- why, I have no idea - but they like them and as long as not illegal, good for them.

 

Just to chime in here, I actually wanted to install
a blinking third brake light at one point but opted against it,
too H Civic

Btw don't the F12's brake lights blink when the brakes
are applied hard to stop from high speed?

best

 

I would like a unit -if activated- strobing the two red fog lights ... like on F1 cars

Are these units available Carlo ?

 

Mr. C! The F12 blinks the hazard lights front and rear.

 

Not to my knowledge Mel; alternatively, there are units which make both the
third brake light and the two rear brake lights strobe.
However, I am not sure if installing any blinking/strobing brake light unit will
have the car throw an electrical error code.
xoxo

 

Thanks Mr.R! A presto!!

 

You are correct. I had my 488 at the track last week and all the drivers kept asking why do you keep turning your hazards on as you go into the turn? So I immediately called my SA who walked over to the Service guys and confirmed that it due to heavy braking to warn the drivers behind you. it was installed on the US specs for the 488 & LaF.

 

it was installed on the 2014+ F12, 2015+ FF's and the CaliT and 488.... (unsure about Cali 30)

There is menu option on the left TFT under setup, you can turn this feature "off" if you prefer

again, the fog light is manually activated using the fog light button on the lighting controller