Abstract: The state of motion of a motor vehicle is indicated to a driver of a following vehicle by employing an array of lamps. The state of motion is determined by sensing vehicle velocity, deceleration being measured either directly via a transducer or being derived from measured velocity. When the subject vehicle is determined to be stationary, the lamps are illuminated in a time dependent sequence to produce an animated visual display in which the lamps are illuminated and selected pairs of lamps are sequentially de-actuated to provide a pattern cyclically moving outwardly from the center to both left and right ends of the array. The approach of the following vehicle to within a pre-set distance of the stationary vehicle is sensed and triggers a change in the display to a static visual display in which an outer pair of lamps remain illuminated. During deceleration, the level of deceleration is indicated by illuminating progressively more lamps with increasing deceleration.

Abstract: A vehicle display system has a stationary detector and an indicator, which form a stationary vehicle detection apparatus being operative to produce an indicator signal which is indicative of the vehicle being stationary. The vehicle display system also has a vehicle deceleration detector and an indicator. The vehicle deceleration detector measures the magnitude of deceleration of a vehicle and generates a signal to drive the indicator and thereby generate a display indicative of the magnitude of vehicle deceleration. The vehicle deceleration detector is independent of the vehicle braking system. In one embodiment, the indicator is an array of lamps and the stationary vehicle indicator signal is an inanimate display. One embodiment has an additional ranging device that detects a trailing vehicle within a predetermined distance of the vehicle employing the ranging device. The ranging device may be used to initiate a change of the display generated by the vehicle display system.