Compulsory on cars since 1998 in France, what is its role?
The third brake light is a signal light mounted at the rear of a vehicle, usually located above the rear window or integrated into the upper part of the tailgate. It is also known as a central brake light.
The purpose of the third brake light is to improve road safety by making it easier for drivers of following vehicles to see when a vehicle is braking.
Traditional brake lights are located at the rear of the vehicle and can be obscured by other vehicles or objects, reducing their visibility. By adding a third brake light, subsequent drivers can see more easily that the vehicle in front is braking, which can give them more time to react and avoid a collision.
The third brake light has become compulsory in many countries, including the United States since 1986. Studies have shown that using the third brake light reduces the number of road accidents caused by rear-end collisions.
In fact, according to a study carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, the use of the third brake light resulted in a reduction of 50 % of rear-end collisions caused by the lack of visibility of traditional brake lights.
Since 1998, all French vehicles have had to be fitted with a third brake light located above the rear window. Its role is to warn motorists of a vehicle braking in front of the car you are following. This third brake light makes it possible to anticipate braking to reduce the risk of over-accidents, visible through the windscreen and rear window of the car in between.
The third brake light can also be useful for motorcyclists, who can be difficult for car drivers to see. The central brake light can help improve visibility for motorcyclists by giving a clear signal to drivers of following vehicles that a motorcyclist is braking.
In short, the purpose of the third brake light is to improve road safety by making the fact that a vehicle is braking more visible, which can help reduce the number of rear-end collisions caused by the lack of visibility of traditional brake lights.
