Galls Traffic Backer - Not for Ford Use?

d119

Member
May 26, 2010
291
CA - Land of Steady Red
So I just bought a traffic backer, NOS. Didn't pay much for it. But when I opened it, it has a very prominent sticker that says not to use it with Ford vehicles (which was my plan).

Whats the story there?

Edit: Reached out to Galls, they indicated they don't sell this anymore and don't have any information on it.
 
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RyanZ71

Member
Jun 14, 2011
1,001
Denver, Colorado
Some silly people back in the day believed that having the 3rd/center mounted brake light flashing as part of the reverse/brake light flasher meant the vehicle could go be taken out of park without depressing the brake pedal to shift out of park. (interlink) Never had that issue on any of the Clown Vics, Caprice, Impala, Lumina, Tahoe, Exploders that I drove. :rolleyes:
 

JazzDad

Member
Aug 5, 2011
5,165
USA
Ah, a suburban, er urban legend.
 
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dcb

Member
May 21, 2010
211
Lexington, Fayette Co, KY
It was a very real situation. When the CHMSL brake light flashed, the vehicle could be pulled out of park and into gear without your foot on the brake. Soon thereafter, all Traffic Backers only flashed the regular brake lights - not the CHMSL. Galls Traffic Backers were re-branded from Sound Off Signal.
 

Zoe

Member
May 28, 2010
776
Deerfield MA
I thought it was related to the US Federal Regulation (NHSTA) that prohibits flashing the CHSML, or otherwise altering it so that it does something other than steady while brakes are applied.
 
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Tango7

Member
Jul 7, 2020
186
Chicago Metro Area
I thought it was related to the US Federal Regulation (NHSTA) that prohibits flashing the CHSML, or otherwise altering it so that it does something other than steady while brakes are applied.
Could the law have been a response to incidents like the ones described?
 

Zoe

Member
May 28, 2010
776
Deerfield MA
Could the law have been a response to incidents like the ones described?
That’s a good question. I assumed the law was in place to assure that at least one light on the rear of the vehicle was only and always a brake light, and served no other duty. (Like how some brake lights double as turn signals.)

Now I’m curious about the invention of the CHMSL and what the story is there.
 

RyanZ71

Member
Jun 14, 2011
1,001
Denver, Colorado
I can't provide the exact reason, but I do believe it was Implemented around 1985 or so that passenger cars (not trucks yet) be equipped or start to be equipped with that additional 3rd brake light, in the center.

Possible reasons:
1. It would be independent of the other 2 brake lights, meaning if there was a circuit failure for the primary brake lights, the third would still work, being activated by hydrolic pressure switch on the brake pedal, vs the standard brake light switch for which many are located right at the brake pedal, and in some cases, can be accidentally disabled or interfered with.. I've seen a number of vehicles over the years where someone got too fussy with their feet/shoes, or a vacuum hose and accidentally disconnected the standard switch. How many times have you been behind a say.. newer Subaru outback or the 2001-2008ish Nissan Altima, and noticed that both primary brake lights were burned out or out, and the center mounted one still worked? (Recalls on both vehicles, FYI, in the case of the Subaru I believe it was just a bad batch of bulbs that burned out quickly)

2. A light at center eye level in many cases is more visible. Think about grille/top of bumper mounted emergency lights on emergency vehicles such as SUVs/Trucks. My Sheriff's Department started utilizing grille/bumper mounted Whelen Strobes on their K5 Blazers back in the 1980s in addition to their Edge bar on the top, which meant that those in cars lower to the ground could see the Grill lights if the emergency vehicle was very close behind them vs not being able to see the light bar on top.

3. Three lights is better than 1 or 2!
 

GE

Member
Sep 30, 2015
109
Prairies Canada
This is most assuredly no urban legend and frankly I'm surprised other members on this board don't remember this.

EDIT: finally found the details. Google "Holidazzle accident"

December 1998: Denise Keenan and Blake McCarty are killed when a Ford police vehicle accelerates through the crowd at a 'Holidazzle' parade in Minneapolis. Investigators find that the officer responsible had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake accidentally, but that the accident could have been prevented if the shift-lock, which prevents the car from shifting into drive if the foot is not on the brake pedal, was functioning properly. The shift-lock was found to be disengaged due to an electrical error that occured when the van's police lights were flashing.

I believe the device in question was a Federal Signal product. Yes, a diode would have prevented this but a) no one seemingly knew about it until it happened, b) the manufacturer couldn't guarantee that a diode wouldn't be installed incorrectly (they only work in one direction), c) halogen or even incandescent brake lights draw enough current to warrant diodes of unusually high back current rating for most electronics, and d) the advantage of flashing brake lights was of questionable value when other lighting sources were readily available and ostensibly more effective than the brake lights. It was easier, cheaper, and moreover litigiously-advantageous to just tell customers not to install them in Fords.
 
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RyanZ71

Member
Jun 14, 2011
1,001
Denver, Colorado
I'll tell you what, back in the day when there were not really much other options other than a light bar and maybe some deck lights on the back deck, the tail light flashers did get attention. Red lights with the reverse lights flashing worked. And for the departments that did not have that, simply using the hazzards was an extra source of warning light.
 

CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,532
NYC
This is most assuredly no urban legend and frankly I'm surprised other members on this board don't remember this.

EDIT: finally found the details. Google "Holidazzle accident"

December 1998: Denise Keenan and Blake McCarty are killed when a Ford police vehicle accelerates through the crowd at a 'Holidazzle' parade in Minneapolis. Investigators find that the officer responsible had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake accidentally, but that the accident could have been prevented if the shift-lock, which prevents the car from shifting into drive if the foot is not on the brake pedal, was functioning properly. The shift-lock was found to be disengaged due to an electrical error that occured when the van's police lights were flashing.

I believe the device in question was a Federal Signal product. Yes, a diode would have prevented this but a) no one seemingly knew about it until it happened, b) the manufacturer couldn't guarantee that a diode wouldn't be installed incorrectly (they only work in one direction), c) halogen or even incandescent brake lights draw enough current to warrant diodes of unusually high back current rating for most electronics, and d) the advantage of flashing brake lights was of questionable value when other lighting sources were readily available and ostensibly more effective than the brake lights. It was easier, cheaper, and moreover litigiously-advantageous to just tell customers not to install them in Fords.
We're to believe that the gear shift lever moved out of it's gated PARK position without human intervention while the accelerator pedal was pressed, simultaneously?
 

MtnMan

Member
Dec 20, 2012
1,533
Eastern PA
We're to believe that the gear shift lever moved out of it's gated PARK position without human intervention while the accelerator pedal was pressed, simultaneously?

I don’t know where you got that idea. According to the article, the officer engaged drive while mistakenly pressing the accelerator, an error that would have been prevented by a working park interlock.
 
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CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,532
NYC
You're saying, or the report says he was intentionally shifting out of PARK but mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake while shifting?
 

CHIEFOPS

Member
Jan 24, 2011
1,532
NYC
No, this makes sense. Your posted citation didn't mention the officer was in fact operating the gear shift lever. Thanks.
 
Dec 15, 2016
25
Joseph, Oregon
So I just bought a traffic backer, NOS. Didn't pay much for it. But when I opened it, it has a very prominent sticker that says not to use it with Ford vehicles (which was my plan).

Whats the story there?

Edit: Reached out to Galls, they indicated they don't sell this anymore and don't have any information on it.
I remember buying some for our cars, they had some issues with cop cars shifting out of park when activated. Ryan
 

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