An illustrated view of a vehicle with an exemplary system for providing external notification of seat belt status. The external system is useful for vehicles relating a condition of the seat belt to public safety officials such as police, state troopers, etc. With the external status being visible, the safety of all who are on the road and in the vehicle is enhanced. The external status allows public safety officials to have visible notification to the seat belt status and provides probable cause to remedy the situation. The vehicle has one or more seat belts configured to have a sensor. The sensor detects the condition of the seat belts. The sensor sends the detected condition to one or more exterior seat belt lights configured on the front and back of the vehicle to notify public safety officials of the seat belt status.

A source of illumination is positioned on a vehicle facing rearwardly. Multi-function controls include a first control and a second control. The first control illuminates the source of illumination and provides a first signal when a driver depresses a brake pedal. The second control illuminates the source of illumination and provides a second signal when an occupant of the vehicle is not using a seat belt. The second signal is an indicator signal adapted to be read by an automatic license plate reader. The indicator signal is chosen from the class consisting of an alpha-numeric signal and a sequencing pattern signal. The alpha-numeric signal is created by light shining through a translucent panel with opaque alpha-numeric markings. The sequencing signal is created by a light turning on and off.

A force limiter control system includes: a variable force limiter unit configured to change a force limiter load; a relative speed detection unit that detects a relative speed between a host vehicle and a preceding vehicle; a force limiter load changing unit that sets a lower load as the force limiter load in a case in which the relative speed is lower than a predetermined threshold value, than in a case in which the relative speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value; and a low load invalidation unit that invalidates a change to the force limiter load by the force limiter load changing unit in a case in which a collision with a collision object other than the preceding vehicle has been predicted in an undetectable region in which an inter-vehicular distance L to the preceding vehicle is smaller than a predetermined distance.

Signaling system for vehicles, specific to warn the rest of users of the road that the opening any of the doors of the vehicle is going to occur imminently, before this opening occurs, which is achieved in the first place, with the installation around the outside mirrors of the vehicle of a set of powerful flashing lights (2R/2N), completely surrounding said mirrors by the mirror part, warning lights that will be oriented to be seen horizontally, and to the exterior of the vehicle so as to be easily seen by the users of the road and at the same time not to bother the driver. And second, this set of warning lights are connected to presence sensors installed on each of the interior handles of the vehicle doors that will allow detect the hand before it touches any of the interiors handles or concrete system of opening the doors, when the occupants are ready to operate them to open and exit, thereby gaining an essential time that does not exist until now.

A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.

A seat belt detection device includes a first sensor that is configured to detect whether a seat housed in a vehicle is occupied. A second sensor is configured to detect whether a seat belt associated with the seat is latched. An indicator is visible externally from the vehicle. A controller is communicatively coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the indicator, wherein the controller includes circuitry configured to activate the indicator when an occupied seat has an unlatched seat belt.

The seat belt indicator light is a supervisory system monitors a seat belt reminder signal within a vehicle. The seat belt indicator light comprises a visual indicator, a control system, and a communication system. The visual indicator monitors the seat belt reminder signal and illuminates the externally visible signal when the seat belt reminder signal is illuminated. The logic module monitors and logs status of the seat belt reminder signal while the vehicle is in operation. The communication system provides remote and local wireless communication services between the control system and an appropriate authority.

A seatbelt monitoring system for warning nearby individuals that a driver's seatbelt is unbuckled includes an engine sensor for determining when a motor of an automobile is activated and a seatbelt sensor for determining when a driver seatbelt is buckled. An indicator light centered on a rear end of the automobile emits a red light when the driver seatbelt is unbuckled and the motor is activated.

A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.

A device is provided for communicating one or more pieces of information about a vehicle to a police officer or other law enforcement employee, wherein said pieces of information are selected from the group consisting of: a. vehicle ID number, b. identity of vehicle owner, c. whether or not registration fees for the vehicle have been paid, and d. insurance information about the vehicle, and wherein such communication happens through the device transmitting said information via a wireless method to a computer device in the possession of said police officer or other law enforcement employee, and wherein said device includes a computer memory on which is stored said pieces of information. Systems and processes utilizing said device are also provided.