Scrolling LED Signs

[Duck 16]

LED Licence Plate Holder 1

LED Licence Plate Holder 2

While watching the Top Gear Caravaning episodes, Jeremy Clarkson buys an LED sign for the back of their camper. I think that's brilliant, and found this lil' guy for just $80!

Does this not seem awesome?! Am I the only one who wants this? Have we gone here before? It sounds familiar. But imagine how cool it would be! The possibilities are endless...!

"Hey dude, you just got smoked by a golf cart!"

Perhaps someone who is more in-tune with local laws could chime in and verify that nothing about these are illegal?

-Iain

[SCHMART 0]

don't send any messages that will give the drive by bombers any excuses........

[Duck 16]

Haha

For you guys in the USA this would be the best though eh? You could put things like... "Yes, it's a car, no, it's not electric, it gets 70 mpg" etc.

-Iain

[darren 192]

I think they're cool, but borderline illegal (if not outright against the law). They could get you into trouble in more ways than one.

[Steve C. 0]

i saw this in burlington when i had my window tinted a few weeks back, you type in what you want, hold the button near the plate and it sends the signal to the led's, so you need a computer to programme it first off. secondly, i asked if it was street legal and the response was probably better to turn it on at something like the cruise nights when you are stationary as opposed to driving with it working, so he wasnt 100 percent sure. it probably isnt for some stupid reasoning, but used correctly it could be ok to have on. i thought it was cool and different at first, now im wondering if with hindsight it may be a little tacky, cant make up my mind.

[mattdaddy 0]

Haha

For you guys in the USA this would be the best though eh? You could put things like... "Yes, it's a car, no, it's not electric, it gets 70 mpg" etc.

-Iain

You forget that we tell the Americans that it gets 180 MPG

[Duck 16]

For next year's cruise, I'm building a Mr. Fusion.

-Iain

[spinner 0]

[*]It's overpriced. There are belt buckle scrolling LEDs going for $30. Fact is the technology is cheap and readily available, so so is the message

[*]It's tacky. When scrolling LED buckles and things of that sort became available a couple years ago, people thought it was a cool idea to wear them. Now no-one wants to be seen with them

Are they CSA/UL approved? Isn't there a risk of having 12V live wires out in the open?

[bilgladstone 13]

FUNNY! I was contemplating THESE just yesterday! But I have no clue if they are legal... anyone?

Bil

...................... .... on ...crack? ...fire? ...prozac?

[Eddie Eddie Eddie 1]

Try this instead:

http://www.au-my.com/english/Drivemocion.htm

I can just see myself writing a novel on those scrolling LED signs...

People would REFUSE to pass me just to read the rest of my tail/tale!

Eddie

[Speedie 4]

In BC at least you can't display stuff in the car that would distract other drivers - can't find the statute but they can ding you.

Cheers,

Cameron

[Duck 16]

Aw, shoot - so I gotta stop wearing my helmet while driving?

-Iain

[Speedie 4]

Only if you don't have a note from your doctor.....

Cheers,

Cameron

[darren 192]

Maybe we need to do a group buy of these.

darren.

[leejor 3]

They need to come out with an LCD display with a reflective background. That would avoid having flashing red lights on the back of your car and risk being pulled over.

[Duck 16]

We have one of those already at our office.

-Iain

[SmartieParts 12]

Moving to buyer's guide... more appropriate.

- Steven

[ValgardForkbeard 2]

The following article was in the Edmonton Sun, October 18, 2006:

Flashing ad on car a no-no?

Cops say sign may draw a ticket if it's determined to be a distraction for other drivers

Wed, October 18, 2006

Flashing ad on car a no-no?

Cops say sign may draw a ticket if it's determined to be a distraction for other drivers

By BROOKES MERRITT, EDMONTONSUN

The owner of a local computer company was shocked to learn that his method of advertising may be illegal as a hazard to drivers. Eric Abele says a digital ad banner mounted on his truck is no more distracting than similar banners on buses, and was angry yesterday on learning it could earn him a fine. According to the province, any light not required for the safe operation of a vehicle - including lights used for advertising - is illegal. Abele mounted the digital banner in the rear window of his Honda Ridgeline six months ago. Its scrolling message reads "computer repairs" in red lights, followed by a phone number for Abele's company Does Not Compute.

"It's generated a lot of business. People give me thumbs-up and the police have never stopped me. "If buses can scroll signs saying "Go Oilers Go" why can't I have this?" Abele said. Injury prevention expert Dr. Louis Francescutti says such signs fall into the same distracting category as cell-phones and in-car navigation systems. "They draw your attention whether you like it or not." He said it's hard to get statistics on accidents involving such distractions because "people won't talk about it. They fear their insurance rates will get jacked up."

Abele plans to talk with the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation to find out why cars can sport massive, colour decals, but he can't use a modest digital banner. "There are bigger safety issues like (not having) daytime running lights that should be addressed before this," he said.

Police said they enforce the law on a "case-by-case" basis.

"Obscuring a licence plate, using black light head lamps, and having (lights) on wipers and rims are commonly ticketed infractions," said EPS spokesman Jeff Wuite.

"But anything determined to be a distraction can be ticketed," he said, adding the fine is normally $57.

MG

[Duck 16]

Arghh! I reeeeeley reeeley reeeley want one. I keep coming up with new things on my commute to work in the morning of what I could make it say.

But yeah, don't want to cause accidents an' stuff.

-Iain

[bilgladstone 13]

On a recent return trip from Vancouver, I had to laugh at a HUGE roadside digital sign. I mean 4 meters tall and wide. It brightly displayed a few warnings something like, "STARTING OCTOBER 1 ALL TRUCKS MUST CARRY CHAINS", etc. VERY distracting as the messages flashed up one after the other.

Then the final message, "PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD". Ha-ha! Too late. It probably took 15 seconds to read all the warnings. That's 500 metres of highway driving at 120kph during which my attention was intermittently diverted from the road. Well done.

Point being, that the Government deems it safe to distract thousands - millions - of travelers in order to impart information to them via scrolling lighted signs; but one little sign in your back window, 5cmx25cm, that can only be read by somebody less than say, 40 metres behind you, is a threat to public safety.

Uh-huh

B:sun:

[Alaria 0]

Try this instead:

http://www.au-my.com/english/Drivemocion.htm

I can just see myself writing a novel on those scrolling LED signs...

People would REFUSE to pass me just to read the rest of my tail/tale!

Eddie

I think I know someone who might be interested in that, Eddie. Or at least, a group of people that would find it funny to see a car with a novel written on it.

[ValgardForkbeard 2]

Yeah, give Eddie3 something to do on those road trips, write for nanowrimo and post the results while he travels.

MG

[SmartieParts 12]

Just start your scrolling message with:

By reading this message you acknowledge you are not a law enforcement member

That seems popular on the music download sites

- Steven

[Eddie Eddie Eddie 1]

That's why I prefer this still:

http://www.au-my.com/english/Drivemocion.htm

Because it only lights up a message when you push a button, then goes off...

It's not permanently on like scrolling led signs... And less likely to attract the boys (and girls) in blue!

For me, you can tell when I'm on that 85km reserve PAST 0.0L on the lcd when I keep the button held down...

Eddie

[smart65 28]

I received a CT flyer today which offers a scrolling digital LED license plate frame for 20% off, at $39.99 (reg. $49.99). It stores up to 5 different personalized messages. A remote control is used to change messages. The LED display can be inverted so that the frame can be installed with the display at the top or the bottom. O.K. - Who's going to be the first to get one? I tend to agree with spinner on the aesthetics of this (negative). As far as their use on the road, I foresee someone setting up a message which would enrage another driver, setting off a road rage incident. The old saying goes something like "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Unfortunately, it's not true.