What is EBA?
EBA stands for "Early Brake Alert" which is a patented means of alerting following cars to
the possibility of a need for sudden braking. It could also pre-fill the brakes and audibly and/or
visually alert the driver under certain conditions.
Isn't it dangerous to be reacting to brake lights of the car ahead of the car ahead of you?
No. Ask yourself: Is it or is it not safer, especially in heavy traffic, being able to actually see the
brake lights of the car ahead of the car ahead of you?
Is a one second earlier braking alert really significant?
One second at 70 mph equates to 103 feet. That can certainly be the difference between life and
death in a rear-end collision.
How does it compare with systems which sense the car ahead slowing?
It has one big advantage over such systems. Because it senses the brake lights of the car ahead,
it provides about a 1 second earlier alert. At 70 mph that's 103 feet. Systems that depend on
the car ahead slowing cannot overcome this inherent shortcoming.
Is there a safety risk if EBA should fail?
No. EBA is a "fail safe', totally passive safety feature. The driver is always in control. Therefore, safety
is never compromised.
Would EBA actually avoid 90% of rear-end collision fatalities?
It is expected that somewhat less than 90% of rear-end collision fatalities, as stated in the Mercedes study,
would be avoided by the EBA 1 sec to 1.5 sec early alert.
Would EBA help reduce accidents caused by distractions such as cell phones?
Because the brake signal from the car ahead would be quickly propagated to the car behind, many
of these distraction accidents would be avoided. Also, the driver could be alerted by a sound and/or light.
What if some cars do not have it?
In a stream of cars, those that do not have it slow down the propagation through themselves and
thus are more likely to be rear-ended. Those that have it are still protected.
Is EBA applicable to all vehicles?
Yes, EBA is effective for all vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, SUV's, buses, etc. It is especially
appliable to very small, light-weight cars whose passengers are more injury prone. Also, these small
cars are more cost sensitive. Crash avoidance is also an amplified issue for battery powered vehicles.
Will EBA effect auto insurance rates?
It is expected that eventually cars equipped with EBA will have reduced insurance rates.
What will be the cost of the EBA?
Very low! Likely less than the cost of a tank of gas.
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