Connect the light switch to a good ground with a jumper wire and press the brake pedal. Report them. A bad brake switch is a really common problem when your brake lights are not working. Insurance companies determine who pays for what, not the Officer taking the report. Thanks to ASIGNIS®, the individual signal lights in a rear combination lamp (brakes, direction indicator etc.) Tricycle and quadricycle headlamps must be: The following must have a pair of main beam headlamps and a pair of dipped beam headlamps – can be separate or a single pair of headlamps: Tricycles and quadricycles classed as mopeds do not need a main beam headlamp. The lamp must be on the centre line or to the offside. This is especially noticeable in modern compact cars where everything ‘unnecessary’ such as brake light housing is crammed out of the way into tiny spaces to make way for luggage space. Difficulty changing brake light bulbs. Determine the appropriate headlamp beam image and its aim (see Diagrams 1, 2 and 3). You only need to inspect daytime running lamps (DRLs) fitted as original equipment to vehicles first used on or after 1 March 2018. Press the brake pedal to light up the stop lamps and operate all the other lamps in turn to see if the stop lamps are adversely affected. If DRLs have been manually switched off, sometimes they do not light up until the vehicle is travelling faster than 10 kilometres per hour (6.2mph) or the vehicle has travelled 100m (328ft). The direction indicator must flash amber only, with no white or red light. (b) A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative: (a) Rear registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps, (a) A hazard warning lamp tell-tale is not a flashing light, 4. If there’s no tow ball or pin, but the attachment brackets are still in place, you must assess the electrical sockets if the tow ball or pin has been: You do not need to assess the electrical sockets if the attachment brackets have been deliberately made unfit for further use. DRLs must switch on and off when the engine is switched on and off. Stick with a reputable reverse vin check site like http://www.reversevincheck.net/ that has been around since 1995. How do you park on the street without having to worry about hitting the curb? Vehicles must have 2 front and 2 rear position lamps, except for tricycles or quadricycles that are less than 1,300mm wide. Front and rear fog lamp switches may be combined or independent switches. A hazard warning ‘tell-tale’ must be a flashing light. British American type headlamps are checked on main beam if they have an asymmetric main beam pattern with a central area of maximum intensity, known as a ‘hot spot’. Headlamps must switch immediately between main beam and dipped beam when you move the dip switch. If the brake light switch is functional, you have to check for a bad electrical ground (some car models have the switch provided ground). HID headlamps use high voltage. The front and rear end outline marker lamps on each side can be combined in one lamp. If 2 are fitted, neither the main beam or dipped beams need to form matched pair. Headlamps are not needed on vehicles first used before 1 January 1931. For front position lamps, the following colour of light is acceptable: If position lamps are combined with direction indicators, position lamps may or may not switch off when the relevant direction indicator is flashing. Buses first used before 1 October 1969 only need one headlamp. Registration plate lamps must light up the rear registration plate. You mustn’t use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users. At least one reversing lamp must be fitted. Registration plate lamps must operate at the same time as the position lamps. Check if the position lamps, end-outline marker lamps or daytime running lamps are adversely affected. Rear fog lamps may be combined with the rear position lamps. However, if you are not sure that they’re connected, you should give the benefit of the doubt. For tricycles and quadricycles, hazard warning lamps must work both with the engine running and switched off. The position lamps must light up at the same time as the registration plate lamps and any end-outline marker lamps where they are fitted. You can change your cookie settings at any time. In this situation you should issue an advisory notice. The driver in front of me blatently had no brakelights working. Press the brake pedal whilst someone else checks they come on. However, if you are not sure that they’re connected, you should give the benefit of the doubt. Obviously if you know the person you should have a quiet word with them but the situation you describe ( i.e., both brake lights not working) is an unroadworthy vehicle and someone is bound to smash into his rear end eventually. Daytime running lamps (DRLs) or headlamps may function as front position lamps. A flat top or other alternative headlamp dipped beam pattern is acceptable as long as all of the beam upper edge, including any ‘peak’ is contained within the appropriate tolerance band. Is there a number you can call to report a car with faulty brake lights, or any other obvious problem, so the car’s owner will get the message? We carry a wide range of lights from our own manufactured freestanding headlight to classic Lucas type rear lights and modern LED technology. Presumably the correct hand signals were used to indicate the driver was slowing down etc. While the brake light switch is connected to the brake pedal which comes on when the pedal is pressed. Switch on the direction indicator lamps and operate all the other lamps in turn to see if the direction indicator lamps are adversely affected. When the tail lights fail or do not function properly the car becomes a danger or hazard to self and others on the road. I have checked for a bad fuse but all looked good. It is not harsh at all - it is the driver's responsibility to ensure that his/her car is roadworthy EVERY time it is taken out onto the road and having no brake lights could be very dangerous if you had to stop suddenly and the person behind you didn't know you were braking. Indicators must flash at between 60 and 120 times per minute. Reversing lamps must show a white light to the rear. your car will pass an mot without this one working however make sure that both your bulbs work on the tail lights to meet legal requirements Some vehicles have position lamps that come on automatically when the engine is running. An example is a kiddie falling off his bike in front of you, he won't be showing any brake lights! What I do I do when...? We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. These can be separate or a single pair of headlamps. 2. Check of the rear light can be performed on your own as well as with the help of the car experts. ‘Mandatory headlamps’ are a matched pair of main beam headlamps and a matched pair of dipped-beam headlamps. Vehicles first used before 1 January 1971 can be fitted with only 1 stop lamp. Oh, that makes me so mad. If both brake lights aren't working it is highly dangerous, especially to motorcyclists. Align the headlamp aim testing equipment to the vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. A trailer electrical socket with a defective or missing cover flap that incorporates a lug and spring to hold the plug in place is not considered to be a defect. Criteria for European beam headlamp aim. Headlamp, position lamps, daytime running lamps, stop lamps, indicators, hazard warning lamps, fog lamps, reversing lamps, lighting ‘tell-tales’, trailer electrical socket, electrical wiring and battery rules and inspection for car and passenger vehicle MOT tests. You must inspect all ‘mandatory’ headlamps fitted. Tricycles and quadricycles classed as mopeds do not need a rear registration plate lamp. The lamp can be mounted centrally or towards the offside. Four of them on rear of caravan so its not bulb as they wouldnt all go at once. You must not use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226 of the Highway Code) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. If I reported every vehicle I saw with no brake lights, or people still talking on their mobiles, I would never be away from the police station. The precise position of lamps is not part of the inspection. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Semaphore type direction indicators do not need to flash. Position the vehicle on the designated headlamp aim standing area. Rear dogs being left on is annoying but no more so than people leaving their foot on the brake in traffic as brake lights are quite blinding, especially the led ones. I have their numberplate details but not sure whether it's worth doing anything, plus I don't want know comebacks. The person driving the car might not know he has an electrical fault and by reporting them you will make sure he does not cause an accident with another driver later on. Rear position lamps must emit a steady red light. The brake light is switched on when the brake pedal is depressed. (b) A lamp with a product on the lens or light source: (c) A lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp, (b) A stop lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp, (d) Mandatory hazard warning device not fitted, (e) Mandatory hazard warning device inoperative, (a) Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, (b) A direction indicator lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp, (a) Rate of flashing not between 60 and 120 times per minute, (a) Front or rear fog lamp emitted colour or position not in accordance with the requirements, (b) A rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp, (a) Reversing lamp emitted colour or position not in accordance with the requirements, (a) Reversing lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements, (a) A rear registration plate lamp throwing direct white light to the rear. It's hard to prove either way after a collision. I have a mutter to myself then forget it. It is also switched on when the car is braked automatically by one of the driver support systems. Only ‘bodied’ mopeds must have direction indicators. Vehicles first used before 1 April 1986 do not need to have hazard warning devices. Make sure any manual headlamp levelling devices (driver controls) work by: Vehicles with high intensity discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with a suspension or headlamp self-levelling system. You should check visually that they are at about the same height and distance from each side of the vehicle. Get answers by asking now. Yes, shop him to the police. If I reported every vehicle I saw with no brake lights, or people still talking on their mobiles, I would never be away from the police station. It is illegal to operate a vehicle on public roads without functioning brake lights. However, if the maximum vehicle width is more than 1,300mm, it must have 2 front and 2 rear position lamps. Rear reflectors are not needed on vehicles: Reflective tape is not an acceptable substitute for a rear reflector. Most importantly, Back light not working but brake lights and turn signals are, just purchased vehicle wires in trunk - Answered by a verified Auto Mechanic We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. First of all, inspect the part visually: it should have no visible damages. The lamp can be mounted centrally or towards the offside. Some vehicles may have these lamps fitted behind the number plate. It’s acceptable for masks or converter kits to be fitted to right hand dip headlamps to temporarily alter the lamp for use in the UK by removing the beam ‘kick-up’ to the right. This may be by use of an engine kill switch or by turning the ignition off. On some vehicles it may be necessary to have the engine running before the reversing lamps will work. Taking the family away tomorrow and on checking my lights on back of caravan all indicator and reverse lights are working fine. They said I should have been far enough back to stop, which I was, anyway and refused to do anymore about it. Having no brake lights is one of the more dangerous things on a car that interacts with other traffic. Who has the right of way at an intersection which has a two way stop sign. You are sitting at a junction or roundabout and the car who has right of way just turns off without indicating. You must fail a British American type lamp if its ‘hot spot’ centre is any of the following: For a British American type lamp to pass, you must also make sure the brightest part of the image moves downwards when the lamp is dipped. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support, Transparency and freedom of information releases, (a) The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, (a) Headlamp ‘on’ switch does not operate in accordance with the requirements, (b) Headlamp ‘dip’ switch does not operate in accordance with the requirements, (a) Headlamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, (b) Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, (d) Mandatory headlamps, intended to be a matched pair, are not the same shape, size or colour, (a) Headlamp levelling device inoperative, (b) Manual levelling device cannot be operated from the driver’s seat, (a) Switch does not operate in accordance with the requirements or the rear position lamps can be switched off when the headlamps are on. 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