Would flashing high level brake light be legal in Ireland?

Andy From Sligo

would anyone know if a flashing high level red brake light (sometimes referred to as 3rd brake light) be lagal for use here in Ireland.

I know they are legal in the US and have seen youtube videos of them in action and they believe over there it has cut down on rear collisions because its more noticeable if the brake light flashes.

This is the electrical gubbings I have found on the UK ebay site to put in line of the wiring of the high level brake light wires:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vehicle-Car-GS-100A-LED-Brake-Stop-Light-Strobe-Flash-Module-Controller-Box-C-UI/264460307080?hash=item3d93100a88:g:SboAAOSw84Zb97aP

kirving

As far as I know, all cars from the past 10 years are so should have this, required by EU law possibly.

If you brake hard enough on at high speed the rear brake lights will flash.

Once you go below a speed threshold, only the indicators flash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUGq6yhU9s

I've seen those aftermarket flashers in the US. They get your attention, the first time, and are incredibly annoying after that

Especially since you can't feather the clutch on an Auto and so the brakes are constantly used in traffic.

wonski

I think the op means constant flashing regardless of speed.

I have a feeling this would fail nct.

Same if your indicators would light up when braking, transit style

If all cars had flashing stop lights it would lost all the sense of emergency.

Andy From Sligo

wonski wrote: »

I think the op means constant flashing regardless of speed.

I have a feeling this would fail nct.

Same if your indicators would light up when braking, transit style

If all cars had flashing stop lights it would lost all the sense of emergency.

indeed - that is what I was wondering, A flashing 3rd / high level brake light flashing at any speed when footbrake is applied even if stopped /vehicle stationary - say like if in a jam so someone dont come speeding up behind and rear ending, noticing a flashing high level brake light as opposed to a static one

Spook_ie

Kevin Irving wrote: »

As far as I know, all cars from the past 10 years are so should have this, required by EU law possibly.

If you brake hard enough on at high speed the rear brake lights will flash.

Once you go below a speed threshold, only the indicators flash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUGq6yhU9s

I've seen those aftermarket flashers in the US. They get your attention, the first time, and are incredibly annoying after that

Especially since you can't feather the clutch on an Auto and so the brakes are constantly used in traffic.

So what indication do you give that you're slowing or stopping?

endacl

Spook_ie wrote: »

So what indication do you give that you're slowing or stopping?

He could always hold a flashing light in his hand!

kirving

wonski wrote: »

I think the op means constant flashing regardless of speed.

I think he means that too, but according to the advert, it does light up constantly after numerous flashes.

Advert wrote:

The flashing pattern is strobe 3 times, then flash 3 times and then constantly lighting up

wonski wrote: »

If all cars had flashing stop lights it would lost all the sense of emergency.

Exactly. I find they soon just annoy you because these aren't related to braking intensity.

As an aside, my current car will limit the frequency at which the brake lights flash, even if I repeatedly hit the pedal, about once per second maximum which I guess prevents strobing and annoyance behind.

The J Stands for Jay

Andy, have you ever been rear ended? Does anyone have stats on that type of accident? I'm guessing that there's probably 2 types of rear ending, emergency stops and idiots driving into stopped traffic at relatively low speed. I can't see the idiots being stopped by this strobe, and most cars already have some flashing light system for heavy breaking (either automatic hazards or the brake lights flash/strobe).

I'm not sure your AliExpress piece of kit is needed.

zilog_jones

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I know they are legal in the US and have seen youtube videos of them in action...

Just because you see them flashing in a video does not mean the lights are flashing in a way that is perceivable to humans.

LED lighting often uses PWM (pulse width modulation) in order to emit the desired brightness. This is usually at frequencies imperceivable to the naked eye, but can easily be picked up by a video camera depending on the shutter speed used and other factors.

kirving

zilog_jones wrote: »

Just because you see them flashing in a video does not mean the lights are flashing in a way that is perceivable to humans.

LED lighting often uses PWM (pulse width modulation) in order to emit the desired brightness. This is usually at frequencies imperceivable to the naked eye, but can easily be picked up by a video camera depending on the shutter speed used and other factors.

PWM to control apparent brightness to humans operates at much higher frequencies than these.

These have a vary apparent strobe that is visible, probably below 5 hertz, and isn't an effect just seen on video.

colm_mcm

This is a bit like those golf balls on the end of your aerial that help you find your car. Every car should have one

Andy From Sligo

Thanks all for your input which I have read through and can see where you are coming from so after reading them I will more than likely abandon the project then and leave as is.

but BTW if anyone is interested here is the youtube vid that got me thinking about it all in the first place:

ohnonotgmail

McGaggs wrote: »

Andy, have you ever been rear ended? Does anyone have stats on that type of accident? I'm guessing that there's probably 2 types of rear ending, emergency stops and idiots driving into stopped traffic at relatively low speed. I can't see the idiots being stopped by this strobe, and most cars already have some flashing light system for heavy breaking (either automatic hazards or the brake lights flash/strobe).

I'm not sure your AliExpress piece of kit is needed.

there is also a third type where idiots drive at high speed into traffic stopped at a red light because they are not paying attention. this bit of kit probably wouldn't help there either.

GM228

To answer the OPs question a flashing brake light is not legal in Ireland (with the exception of those so designed for emergency braking).

biko

If I have to sit in gridlock behind a car with constant flashing brake light, there will be words.

Spook_ie

biko wrote: »

If I have to sit in gridlock behind a car with constant flashing brake light, there will be words.

It doesn't flash constantly it pulses 4 times and then goes solid.

Andy From Sligo

here is the specs of the one off ebay - strobe 3 times , flash 3 times, then constantly light. i dare say if you were a bit handy with electronics and a soldering iron you could just crack open the case of it and convert it to just flash 3 times and then steady.



in any case, what I tend to do in gridlock traffic any way is take my foot off the brake and put the handbrake on anyway if i am stuck for an amount of time. I thought everyone did . maybe not people with automatic transmission cars but i havent driven an auto car for over 30 years so i dunno what you are supposed to do then

wonski

Spook_ie wrote: »

It doesn't flash constantly it pulses 4 times and then goes solid.

Strobe 3 times, flash three times then solid.

In a heavy traffic behind it you could have quiet a lot of that. It is a gimmick that is not related to speed or anything, just you pressing the brake which means it will be a strobo and flashing constantly in slowly moving traffic. Every time you depress the sequence starts again.

Not a chance I would even consider it.

Andy From Sligo

wonski wrote: »

Strobe 3 times, flash three times then solid.

In a heavy traffic behind it you could have quiet a lot of that. It is a gimmick that is not related to speed or anything, just you pressing the brake which means it will be a strobo and flashing constantly in slowly moving traffic. Every time you depress the sequence starts again.

Not a chance I would even consider it.

What if I pump the brake pedal continuously 3 times and make *all* the rear brake lights flash? .. will it be illegal then?

just messing, but I still kind of think a pulsating high brake level light will be more noticeable that a static one to some people. Not in every situation granted .

does anyone do what I do if I am stuck at road works and i see a car speeding up behind me I put on me hazards flashers to make them notice .. I have seen others do it as well.

I guess somewhere along the way someone must have decided to make the 4 amber hazard warning lights flash to warn others better , otherwise they would have just designed it so all 4 amber hazard indicators stayed on static

SBPhoto

If your the last car stuck at roadworks you should have your flashers on and not waiting till you see a fast approaching car

Andy From Sligo

SBPhoto wrote: »

If your the last car stuck at roadworks you should have your flashers on and not waiting till you see a fast approaching car

ya i do that too

mikeecho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWjD7Zrb6Yk

_Kaiser_

SBPhoto wrote: »

If your the last car stuck at roadworks you should have your flashers on and not waiting till you see a fast approaching car

Roadworks or indeed any sort of unexpected significant slow down or stoppage on especially motorways

i57dwun4yb1pt8

there is a mobile tyre van going around wexford / new line with a flashing red roof light ,
its the most f*cking annoying thing on the road to be behind

i57dwun4yb1pt8

also

https://www.dumpert.nl/item/7770235_af69ec60

colm_mcm

DaDumTish wrote: »

there is a mobile tyre van going around wexford / new line with a flashing red roof light ,
its the most f*cking annoying thing on the road to be behind

Report them, it’s illegal and dangerous.

kirving

As annoying as some bike lights can be, I'd much prefer to see an annoying light than a shadow in the night.

colm_mcm

Kevin Irving wrote: »

As annoying as some bike lights can be, I'd much prefer to see an annoying light than a shadow in the night.

I don’t think anyone would disagree with you.

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Report them, it’s illegal and dangerous.

As far as I know, it's actually not illegal to have rear-facing red lights flashing (they must be rear-facing, though).

Andy From Sligo

Deleted User wrote: »

As far as I know, it's actually not illegal to have rear-facing red lights flashing (they must be rear-facing, though).

I have to say as time goes on i am finding it harder to think why a red flashing high level brake light would be illegal when legally I could 'pump' if i wanted to the footbrake and all red rear tail lights would flash on and of and still be legal.

i havent read yet or no-one has supplied anything concrete as to why it would be illegal to have a flashing rear high level red light when footbrake is applied , flash 3 times and then go steady on - not dis-crediting other peoples replies but simply saying 'it would be annoying' doesnt really answer if it would be legal or not.

Andy From Sligo

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I have to say as time goes on i am finding it harder to think why a red flashing high level brake light would be illegal when legally I could 'pump' if i wanted to the footbrake and all red rear tail lights would flash on and of and still be legal.

i havent read yet or no-one has supplied anything concrete as to why it would be illegal to have a flashing rear high level red light when footbrake is applied , flash 3 times and then go steady on - not dis-crediting other peoples replies but simply saying 'it would be annoying' doesnt really answer if it would be legal or not.

I haven't really read the whole thread, but it's not illegal to the best of my knowledge.

Hence Garda cars etc. Having rear flashing red lights.

Unsure if it may be seen as an NCT fail, as you're tampering with lights that get tested, but as far as I'm aware, once they actually turn on once you press the brake pedal, they'll pass the test.


That said, despite its legal status, it legitimately would be very annoying.

Mind you, considering the compensation claims out there, you'd think most people would WANT to be rear-ended, and not be trying too hard to avoid it. Haha.