Patent ID: 8552886

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first accident detector structured to be carried on board a first motor vehicle and adapted to detect an accident involving the first motor vehicle and to consequently cause a first output; a first transmitter in communication with the first accident detector and operable to broadcast a first remote warning signal subsequent to receiving the first output; a first receiver structured to be carried on board the first motor vehicle and operable to receive a second remote warning signal that is transmitted by a different apparatus; and a first local warning device in communication with the first receiver and effective to communicate a warning, corresponding to the second remote warning signal, to an occupant disposed inside the first motor vehicle, wherein the first local warning device is structured to determine and visually convey an approximate current state of intensity, selected from a plurality of different states of intensity, of an attribute associated with the second signal, wherein: a plurality of audible noises are individually assigned to each one of the states of intensity; and a speaker associated with the apparatus is configured to broadcast one noise, selected from the noises and corresponding to the currently determined state, for audible perception of the one noise by an occupant of the first vehicle.