Putting the Tire Screech Back in Panic Stops Could Save Lives

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--Aug. 18, 2006--A positive invention, ABS brakes, have one major flaw. They kill! The screeching tire sound emitted when non-ABS brakes are engaged is lost in an ABS system. Fortunately a new device is looking to correct that. This invention artificially replaces the blood-curdling screech of tires in a panic stop, allowing pedestrians to jump out of the way and avoid being hit.

The trigger to inventing this device was when Larry Bunker (co-Inventor) slammed on his brakes just as a co-worker jumped out of his truck into Larry's pathway. The loud screaming tire sound created when Larry hammered his brakes to stop was just enough warning to allow his co-worker to jump out of the way to safety. It was at that moment that Larry realized that if he had had ABS brakes instead of non-ABS ones, he would have silently run over his friend.

4,749 pedestrians were reported to have been killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2003 while an estimated 70,000 pedestrians were injured or killed in motor vehicle collisions during that same time period(1). This invention provides a "win, win" situation. Automobiles can continue to enjoy all of the benefits of ABS brakes without losing the benefit of an audible warning. "Car Manufacturers, Safety Agencies, and Insurance Companies would all benefit exponentially from this invention," says Larry Bunker (Co-Inventor).

For more details on this problem and its solution, visit the US Trademark & Patent Office. Go here http://www.uspto.gov and enter Patent # 6,819,234.

(1) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts 2003, Washington, DC, 2004.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Larry Bunker, please call James Bunker (408) 734-8665 or e-mail James at SavingLives@pacbell.net.