How Many Brake Lights Are Required By Law?
Brake lights are a crucial safety feature for every car. They help alert the drivers behind you about your intentions to stop or slow down—minimizing cases of collisions and accidents. However, there has been an ongoing debate about the exact number of brake lights required by law.
How many brake lights are required by law? The exact number of brake lights required by law varies depending on jurisdiction. However, federal law requires all vehicles in the US to have 3 functioning brake lights; these include two primary lights and an additional center high-mounted stop lamp. Consulting your local traffic laws will help you gain more info on the brake light requirements in your specific area.
In this article, we dive into more details about the exact number of brake lights required by law. We will also discuss whether you can drive with 2 brake lights, whether the third brake light is important, and so on.
How many brake lights are required by law?
The number of brake lights required by law usually varies from one jurisdiction to another. Generally, all cars are required to have two functioning brake lights.
These are the two standard brake lights usually located at the rear of your car on both the passenger and driver’s side.
Having the two primary lights help create redundancy by ensuring that one can still function correctly if the other one fails. This explains why you are required to have all of them working. This is crucial for increasing your visibility to the drivers behind you and promoting your road safety.
However, by 1986, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) required all cars in the United States to have a third brake light—making the total number of required lights by law to be three. (Source).
The third brake light, also known as the CHMSL (center high mount stop lamp), was made a legal requirement since it offers an additional visual cue to drivers behind you on your intentions to slow down or stop your car.
This light usually sits higher than the traditional brake lights—usually in the middle of the rear window or near the rear windshield—where drivers who miss the primary stoplights cannot miss them.
This makes them helpful in the case of distracted drivers or in heavy traffic obstructing the primary lights.
Mind you, distracted driving in the US killed 3300+ people in the US in 2012 alone. (Source). As such, you can imagine the importance this 3rd brake light plays.
Overall, we advise you to research more about the specific brake light requirements (including the number, specifications, and positioning) in your area of residence. This is the only way you can be sure about your state brake light requirements.
Do you have to have 3 brake lights?
It depends on the state you live in. However, in most cases, the law requires you to have two functioning brake lights. These are required to be positioned at the rear of your car (one on the right and the other one on the left) and should burn brightly whenever you apply the brakes.
Having 3 brake lights is not always a legal requirement in all states. Nonetheless, it is good to have this light functioning in your car for increased visibility to other drivers and increased road safety.
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that federal law mandates that all cars in the US must be outfitted with the 3rd brake light. Moreover, they state that this additional stop light should be comparable to the 2 primary lights to avoid distracting the drivers behind you.
Overall, traffic regulations tend to differ from one jurisdiction to another, so it’s always advisable to consult your state’s specific law requirements for more accurate info regarding whether you need to have 3 brake lights on your car.
Can you drive with only 2 brake lights?
Yes, you can drive with only 2 brake lights. As we mentioned earlier, most jurisdictions permit car owners to have only two standard brake lights.
However, the two lights must stay functional at the same time and meet the specific requirements set by the local traffic regulations.
That said, traffic laws vary from state to state, and some states require you to have all the 3 brake lights working on your car.
For this reason, we advise you to research what your local traffic laws say regarding the number of brake lights to ensure you comply.
Still at it, if your car has a non-functioning third brake light, we advise you to fix it even if it’s not a requirement in your jurisdiction.
As we have already said earlier, this light offers you additional safety on the road. This report from NHTSA clearly shows how the effectiveness of the CHMSL light in preventing fatal accidents in both passenger cars and light trucks.
Can you drive with one brake light?
Driving with only one brake light can be illegal in most states. Most states require you to have at least two fully functional brake lights at the rear of your car.
As you already know, brake lights serve a crucial role in communicating with other road users about your intentions to slow down or stop.
Therefore, having the two primary stoplights functioning provides redundancy and thus increases your braking intentions to the drivers behind you. This enhances safety for you and other road users.
If you think about it, drivers are less likely to miss both brake lights compared to just one brake light.
While the number of brake lights requirement may be different in your state, it is still a good idea to maintain your standard brake lights in good working condition.
If one of your brake lights becomes faulty, having it fixed as soon as possible ensures safety on the road and compliance with traffic laws.
Is it illegal to only have one brake light working?
Yes, it can be illegal to have only one brake light functioning in most jurisdictions. The traffic regulations in most states require you to have 2 or 3 brake lights functioning.
If you drive with only one brake light, you risk being pulled over by cops for violation of traffic laws. And you may be served with a citation or a fine, depending on the local traffic rules.
Far from legal matters, having all your lights functioning will enhance your safety on the road as all the drivers behind you can easily tell when you’re coming to a stop or slowing down.
With this in mind, it is important to ensure your brake lights are in good working condition to ensure you comply with your local regulations. If one of the lights is not working, we advise you to have it diagnosed and fixed as soon as possible.
Is the third brake light optional?
Whether the third brake light is a legal requirement or optional can vary depending on your jurisdiction. In some areas, the light is optional and you can drive your car without it.
However, the light is a legal requirement in some areas—it may be mandatory for specific types and models of cars and optional for others.
Consulting your local traffic laws will give you more info regarding whether the third brake light is a legal requirement in your area and whether your specific car type ought to have one.
However, even if this light is optional in your jurisdiction, keeping it in good working condition on your car is beneficial. Remember, it offers additional visual cues to drivers behind you about your intentions to brake, minimizing the risk of being rear-ended.
If you’re curious about the legal requirements for brake lights on vehicles, it’s important to understand the regulations to ensure compliance and safety. For more information on this topic, you can refer to our article on right turn signal and brake light not working on trailer. This resource provides valuable insights and troubleshooting tips for addressing the specific issue with the right turn signal and brake light on your trailer. Additionally, if you’re experiencing problems with both the turn signal and brake light on one side of your vehicle, our article on turn signal and brake light not working on one side may offer helpful guidance in resolving the issue.FAQs:
Covering the third brake light isn’t a good idea and may even be illegal in areas where it’s required by law. Blocking this light may result in traffic law violations and fines. Moreover, the light acts as an additional safety feature that improves your visibility to other drives, so we advise against covering it.
It depends on your area of residence. Some jurisdictions prohibit flashing brake lights and you can be pulled over for having them. Generally, these types of lights can create confusion and distractions for fellow drivers, so it’s advisable to avoid them as much as possible.
The third brake light became a law in the US in the 1980s to improve your visibility to other drivers when doing brake maneuvers, thus increasing road safety. Since then, this brake light has become a legal requirement for vehicles in different states.
Conclusion
The number of brake lights required by law can vary depending on your area of residence. Most states require you to have at least two brake lights in good working condition. These are simply the standard brake lights positioned at the rear of your car. While the third brake light is equally important, it is not a legal requirement in all states.
The best way to be sure about the number of brake lights required by the law is to consult your local traffic regulations. This will help ensure you comply with your local traffic regulations, and avoid being pulled over and served with a citation and even fines.