No Brake Lights No Excuse

[BSRU]

This morning as I was about to pull out of our garage in the car, not at work today, I did a quick lights test and realised my brake lights were not working.
Obviously no point taking the car out of the garage as it cannot be driven with no brake lights.
A quick walk to a car parts shop, 2.99 for a pack of two bulbs, then back home.
It must have taken two minutes per bulb to change them, probably the easiest job I have done on the car and hey presto working brake lights again.
So for 2.99 and about 30 minutes a road legal car again.
The reason I mention this is the increasing number of cars I see on the road with faulty brake lights and the fact it is an extremely simple cheap job to replace them.

 

[Night Train]

How many drivers bother to check their lights anyway? The brake lights being the most difficult to check requiring either a reflective wall or surface to see them or a second person to check.

I suppose you were a bit poor in not spotting the first brake light that failed and only noticing when they had both failed.

 

[numbnuts]

requiring either a reflective wall or surface to see them or a second person to check

Or a piece of wood

 

[tyred]

I always check mine by reversing close to the patio doors.

 

[subaqua]

it is feasible that if they have been nudged in the rear ( fnaar ) while the lights are on the filament can break on both lamps. if ALL including high level are out then would suggest brake light switch, fuse or other wiring fault.

still no excuse though

 

[Arch]

I told a woman once, who was stopped in my street, that she had a back light out, and she said "Oh, I know, it says so here" and waved at the dashboard. So she had even less excuse!

 

[rich p]

I only check mine if I'm over the limit. Not worth taking the risk.

 

[Edwards80]

I once told a chap in van both his lights were out, quite politely.

His response - verbatim "**** off you Pr*ck" I somehow got the impression that he wouldn't be changing the bulbs when he got home.

 

[snailracer]

I sometimes wonder what it would be like in an alternate universe, where cars don't have brake lights?

Bikes typically don't have brakes, but with most bikes you can see the rider's legs stop and coast when they are about to brake. I wonder if fixed-gear bikes are more likely to get rear-ended because there is no indication they are going to stop?

 

[BSRU]

How many drivers bother to check their lights anyway? The brake lights being the most difficult to check requiring either a reflective wall or surface to see them or a second person to check.

I suppose you were a bit poor in not spotting the first brake light that failed and only noticing when they had both failed.

Only one failed but for some reason it is wired in a way that both stop working.

 

[vernon]

I always check mine by reversing close to the patio doors.

Just wait until your foot slips off the clutch.....

 

[al78]

I once left work for a journey home and after about 40 miles was alerted by another motorist that both my brake lights had failed. Turned out the brake light cable had failed. Must have happened on that journey as they were working when I left work.

 

[the_mikey]

Not always an easy job, some vehicle manufacturers seem to delight in making access to anything as difficult as possible, in fact the manual in one of the cars I've used in the past stated that under no circumstances should I attempt to change a bulb myself and the car should be taken to the nearest vauxhall dealer. I attempted to do it myself, and I agreed, that it needed to be taken to the garage to get it done quickly, it took 3 hours to change the bulb!

 

[Paulus]

It is not that hard to check brake lights, even on the road. You can nomally see the reflection from your lights on the car behind when stopped a traffic lights, look at the headlights of the car behind and you will see them reflected.

 

[Linford]

I've told loads of people that their brake lights have gone over the years when I'm filtering. I've never had someone have a dig for it. They always say thank you. I guess it could be how you approach them.