I saw an ad in a car magazine the other day. It touted the fact that its’ LED brake lights turn on a 1/6th of a second faster than conventional brake lights. And, at 60 MPH, that translates into about 100 feet of travel.

I guess the idea is that when the brake lights turn on a 1/6th of a second faster, it gives the car behind you an extra 1/6th of a second to respond. And because the car behind you can respond quicker, it makes driving your car that much safer.

Conceptually, I agree with their line of thought. However, from a real world perspective, I don’t think that it will make that much of a difference.

The assumption is made that the person driving the car behind you is paying attention and not talking on their cell phone. But, the chances are that they are talking on their cell phone and not paying attention to their driving.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that LED lights are a great idea. I just don’t think that the 1/6th of a second is a great selling point.

Perhaps the car manufacturer needs a new ad agency.