[Wyvern]

I have commuted the same routes for 20 + years.
After now 16 months with the bolt ... "things are different"
I love the Bolt for commuting! BUT, have been just tapped once, hit hard from the rear ($3000 repair) had to move to avoid getting hit many times, had multiple instances where the driver behind locks up or take an avoiding move.
All together MANY more times than driving my ICE per mile driven

Something needs to be done with the programming of the brake lights. I understand how they work / when they come on ... but, driving in Low brings me to a stop then once stationary the brake lights are NOT on. I feel they need to be on until I then accelerate (I would have had the brake pedal pressed with lights on in the ICE to hold it in place) but sitting stopped often on the freeway in traffic or surface streets with no brake lights is an issue. I have got into the habit even if one pedal driving to use the brake pedal at stop just so I know my brake lights are on.

How may others have had issues or seen a trend?
I am intrigued to see some stats from insurance with info on rear end instances.

 

[PhilBo]

I've only had my Bolt for less than a week but I have the same concern. At least twice my wife had to remind me to put my foot on the brake in order to activate the brake lights at a stop. I haven't had a problem with rear traffic YET but, I can see where it could be a problem.

 

[Cehjun]

I agree. See below thread for an earlier debate over this issue.
https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/430615-post89.html

Bolt is unique as a BEV in its ability to bring itself quickly to a stop and to hold itself in a stationary position. Brake lights need to remain illuminated, without driver’s pushing brake pedal, until the accelerator is pushed once again.

Don’t know the technical requirements needed to make this happen. It seems an accelerometer / g force meter kind of thing is being used at present to trigger brake lights illumination. Regardless, GM needs to figure it out.

 

[Hugh]

I have commuted the same routes for 20 + years.
After now 16 months with the bolt ... "things are different"
I love the Bolt for commuting! BUT, have been just tapped once, hit hard from the rear ($3000 repair) had to move to avoid getting hit many times, had multiple instances where the driver behind locks up or take an avoiding move.
All together MANY more times than driving my ICE per mile driven

Something needs to be done with the programming of the brake lights. I understand how they work / when they come on ... but, driving in Low brings me to a stop then once stationary the brake lights are NOT on. I feel they need to be on until I then accelerate (I would have had the brake pedal pressed with lights on in the ICE to hold it in place) but sitting stopped often on the freeway in traffic or surface streets with no brake lights is an issue. I have got into the habit even if one pedal driving to use the brake pedal at stop just so I know my brake lights are on.

How may others have had issues or seen a trend?
I am intrigued to see some stats from insurance with info on rear end instances.

I agree. When in L, at low speed and still slowing, the brake light should remain on. The instant the driver presses the accelerator, then off.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I have got into the habit even if one pedal driving to use the brake pedal at stop just so I know my brake lights are on.

Although I've always driven in "L" mode the whole brake light issue doesn't really bother me that much because I decided right off the bat to always use the brake pedal once stopped anyway. I do this for three reasons:

• To illuminate the brake lights,
• To reduce the likelihood of being pushed into the intersection if struck from behind, and
• To keep my foot trained to use the brake pedal in case I need to make an emergency stop.

 

[Ampera e]

Interesting. Don't think this is an issue at all over here (here is the Netherlands). Probably because we are much more used to manual gear box cars, where you do not need to hold the brake when stopped.

I remember, when more and more cars with automatic gear boxes appeared on the streets here, I found it annoying having to stop behind a car with auto gear box and be blinded by their brake lights.

 

[PhilBo]

Although I've always driven in "L" mode the whole brake light issue doesn't really bother me that much because I decided right off the bat to always use the brake pedal once stopped anyway. I do this for three reasons:

• To illuminate the brake lights,
• To reduce the likelihood of being pushed into the intersection if struck from behind, and
• To keep my foot trained to use the brake pedal in case I need to make an emergency stop.

I am going to follow your very wise advice until it becomes habit.

 

[ai4px]

I agree. See below thread for an earlier debate over this issue.
https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/430615-post89.html

Bolt is unique as a BEV in its ability to bring itself quickly to a stop and to hold itself in a stationary position. Brake lights need to remain illuminated, without driver’s pushing brake pedal, until the accelerator is pushed once again.

Don’t know the technical requirements needed to make this happen. It seems an accelerometer / g force meter kind of thing is being used at present to trigger brake lights illumination. Regardless, GM needs to figure it out.

Seems to be an accellerator position thing... When I first got the car I thought it was >15kw regen that made brake lights come on.... Most of the time I see my brake lights come on at >15kw.... but the other day I decelerate at 38kw without letting completely off the "gas" pedal and had no brake lights. I drive to work in the dark, so it's pretty easy for me to see when the brakes are on.

 

[ai4px]

Now that the 2019s are out, can anyone confirm if GM changed the behavior of the brake lights in L?

 

[DaV8or]

Interesting. Don't think this is an issue at all over here (here is the Netherlands). Probably because we are much more used to manual gear box cars, where you do not need to hold the brake when stopped.

I remember, when more and more cars with automatic gear boxes appeared on the streets here, I found it annoying having to stop behind a car with auto gear box and be blinded by their brake lights.

I think it's more likely drivers in the Netherlands are actually paying attention while driving. All the automatic gearboxes here as well as cruise control and now lane assist, or even autopilot schemes frees up hands and your mind to do other things besides drive. Eating, texting, putting on makeup, shaving, making phone calls, emails, checking out Facebook, or even drilling down through playlists. This is just the beginning! There's lots of things you can do.

When you have to pay attention to what gear your car is in and you need to use one of your arms to do it, it gets in the way of doing what you want to be doing. That's why Americans love automatics so much and in turn, that's why we crash into the rear of each other so much. Brake lights only help a little bit. Most people get rear ended with all the lights lit up like Christmas.

 

[DaV8or]

Although I've always driven in "L" mode the whole brake light issue doesn't really bother me that much because I decided right off the bat to always use the brake pedal once stopped anyway. I do this for three reasons:

• To illuminate the brake lights,
• To reduce the likelihood of being pushed into the intersection if struck from behind, and
• To keep my foot trained to use the brake pedal in case I need to make an emergency stop.

This is my thinking too.

 

[Ampera e]

Seems to be an accellerator position thing... When I first got the car I thought it was >15kw regen that made brake lights come on.... Most of the time I see my brake lights come on at >15kw.... but the other day I decelerate at 38kw without letting completely off the "gas" pedal and had no brake lights. I drive to work in the dark, so it's pretty easy for me to see when the brakes are on.

Could it perhaps be the rate of deceleration (in terms of m/s2) that determines whether the brake lights are lit? When decelerating with a same rate at 10 MPH you get far less kW compared to decelerating with the same rate at 60 MPH or even faster.

 

[Wyvern]

When you have to pay attention to what gear your car is in and you need to use one of your arms to do it, it gets in the way of doing what you want to be doing. That's why Americans love automatics so much and in turn, that's why we crash into the rear of each other so much. Brake lights only help a little bit. Most people get rear ended with all the lights lit up like Christmas.

So true !
Perhaps the issue is not only the Bolt and its brake lights but current driver habits.

 

[james1]

Interesting. Don't think this is an issue at all over here (here is the Netherlands). Probably because we are much more used to manual gear box cars, where you do not need to hold the brake when stopped.

I remember, when more and more cars with automatic gear boxes appeared on the streets here, I found it annoying having to stop behind a car with auto gear box and be blinded by their brake lights.

Well-said. When driving a manual transmission vehicle I often shift to a lower gear (for a little engine braking) rather than using the brake pedal. The vehicle my Bolt replaced was a Tacoma pickup with a manual tranny and in that truck I also experienced some close calls involving inattentive drivers behind me. Americans were once used to different driving habits (and the corresponding brake light patterns); they will get that way again when half the cars on the road are EVs -- which I hope is soon.

 

[One1whaoo.]

If this was a real issue, cars with manual transmissions would legally have to keep the brake lights on when stopped, or you would have to pay a premium on your insurance for a manny tranny.
That said, you should keep your foot on the brake when stopped anyway, because:

To reduce the likelihood of being pushed into the intersection if struck from behind, and
To keep my foot trained to use the brake pedal in case I need to make an emergency stop.

And to keep the foot used to it, for that rare option when you rent or drive any gas-powered car again.

 

[Wyvern]

Other than flat ground you do have to keep your foot on the brake at a stop in a manual car (and of course an automatic because of creep)
The argument for keeping your foot on the brake to avoid being pushed into the intersection does not speak to me.
First, I would rarely be 1st in line at the intersection and I am more % wise concerned with being an immovable object stopped on the road ... No brakes at a stop if then rearended would be much less of a overall impact. sure there is a concertina effect but that's what crumple zones are for.

 

[Pete Blair]

I drive in bumper to bumper, high volume traffic day in and out, approaching 30,000 miles on my Bolt. I always drive in L and I haven't seen anyone have issues behind me. I drove manual transmission cars/trucks before my Bolt and always used engine braking and never really seemed to have issues with drivers not seeing me slow down. The caveat to this statement of course is for those drivers that were actually looking, I have had some close calls with idiots who were staring at their cell phones and not driving, I know this because I also have front and rear dash cams that are high enough res that I can see the drivers and what they are doing. And yes, my brake lights were illuminated while slowing down and they still didn't see because they weren't paying attention.

Now for those reporting that they are getting regen as high as 38kW without brake lights coming on, I think you may need to get your Bolt checked out. When I am in traffic in the morning (dark) I can quite easily see when my brake lights illuminate and it doesn't seem to take much force to trip them, they are almost always lit up before my foot has even completely let the accelerator pedal all the way back up. So if those who are concerned are seeing behavior where their brake lights take a lot of force to trigger in L I would think there may actually be something wrong with the sensor or something.

 

[shotel]

Something needs to be done with the programming of the brake lights. I understand how they work / when they come on ... but, driving in Low brings me to a stop then once stationary the brake lights are NOT on. I feel they need to be on until I then accelerate (I would have had the brake pedal pressed with lights on in the ICE to hold it in place) but sitting stopped often on the freeway in traffic or surface streets with no brake lights is an issue. I have got into the habit even if one pedal driving to use the brake pedal at stop just so I know my brake lights are on.

I think you're trying to solve for a problem that has nothing to do with the way the Bolt administers the brake lights.

The real problem is the shear stupidity of your fellow Americans:

According to the NHTSA, out of the 6 million car accidents that happen on U.S. roads every year, over 40% of them (2.5 million) are rear-end collisions. They also found that 87% of rear-end collisions happened because the driver wasn't paying attention to the road.

Brake lights on or not does nothing to help. How may of these 2.5 Million rear end collisions are because the driver running into somebody was so blind that they couldn't recognize a stopped vehicle in front of them that didn't have brake lights on? Think about that stat for a moment. Let it sink in. 40%? Aren't about 100% of these accidents preventable??

What are the most common causes of rear-end collisions?

• Aggressive or reckless driving
• Texting or on the phone while driving
• Driver fatigue
• Speeding
• Failure to follow the rules of the road
• Tailgating

It's not GM's fault that so many American drivers are fools. So pathetically self-absorbed that they risk others lives just to respond to a tweet or snap. Or so stressed out that they just have to get where they're going ignoring proper safe driving, again risking others lives because they are only concerned with their own meaningless lives.

I'm not a believer in AV (Give GM credit for at least trying to solve the above problem) for the same reasons as I am not counting on some technology to disable the screens of smartphones when they are inside a moving vehicle; American Rugged Individualism culture won't accept any take-away of our control...especially when it comes to our vehicles and sail-foams.

You're barking up the wrong tree here.

 

[Андрей Т.]

Interesting. Don't think this is an issue at all over here (here is the Netherlands). Probably because we are much more used to manual gear box cars, where you do not need to hold the brake when stopped.

I remember, when more and more cars with automatic gear boxes appeared on the streets here, I found it annoying having to stop behind a car with auto gear box and be blinded by their brake lights.

Exactly! Don`t think it is an issue in Connecticut either.

 

[Posatronic]

Not an issue in Nebraska. I slow down ahead of time to try to closer time the light. By the time I stop I am going slow enough it’s not an issue for the driver behind me. Also I drive my Mazda Miata the same way and never had a problem.
My theory is that your using “L” mode to “brake “ as fast as it can then not having brake lights on might be a problem for people who were not right behind you. My best guess. Try feathering the accelerator pedal. Good luck and I hope no one hit you again.