Originally Posted by
HawkOwl
Beware the the Curiosity Factor. When joined by the Hypnotizing Factor things could get deadly.
If another person can't quickly determine what you are and your movement parameters they could just run into you while figuring it out. Some light patterns seem to hypnotize people. Way back in Model T days the CHP was having a lot of trouble with drivers running into their patrol cars while stopped with their emergency lights on. Seems people would just focus on the lights and drive right into the cruisers. Changed the lights and although the problem never went away it greatly diminished.
As you note, it is still a problem today. I once laid out the most beautiful flare pattern you've ever seen at a freeway accident scene (I had a full box of flare, the city paid for them, might as well use them). A squad car drove into the pattern with all his lights going. It was three in the morning and a compact car full of musicians drove through my flare pattern and into the back of the well lit squad car. Oddly enough, no drugs or alcohol were involved. Just a case of DWHUA. Happens too often.