Sitting at junctions/lights with the foot brake on

[Cyder]

Unfortunately while a good idea, the OEM’s have to follow the regulations set out by the rule makers that mandate brake lights must stay on unless the parking brake is manually applied.

You could lobby the Dept for Transport for a regulation change if you really feel strongly about it. They could then take it to the SMMT vehicle lighting forum who can propose regulation changes to the UNECE group.
I have seen the DfT bring things to the lighting working group for discussion before that have been raised by the public so it can work.

[Fusion777]

Must admit, I didn’t realise they came on with auto handbrakes. I’ve still got an old fashioned stick. I’ve now got slightly more sympathy towards the perpetrators

[LukeBrown66]

I am aware of this now, it is a shame and there is no real safety reasons to have a brake light on when a car is parked or waiting at lights is there?

Frankly if you cannot see a car is stationary at a set of lights you should not be driving, why pander to a tiny minority?

[MitchT]

Any irritation caused by people doing this has paled into insignificance since HIDs appeared.

[Fusion777]

Some schools of thought say that if you’re at the back of a queue and there’s traffic approaching quickly from behind, it’s useful to tap the brakes to highlight your presence. Not so sure about holding them on though.

[Pica-Pica]

Fusion777 said:

Some schools of thought say that if you’re at the back of a queue and there’s traffic approaching quickly from behind, it’s useful to tap the brakes to highlight your presence. Not so sure about holding them on though.

As I previously said, when you join a queue, slowly approach with brake lights on, and leave a gap ahead (where possible) until the next car behind has seen you and is slowing sufficiently. You can then close your gap as they get close, so they don’t have to stop and move again (unless they too want to leave a gap). Then brake lights off.

[leef44]

MitchT said:

Any irritation caused by people doing this has paled into insignificance since HIDs appeared.

Especially on SUVs, it's brighter than the full beam on my little Suzuki

[dave_s13]

We no longer live in a world where most cars are manual and have a handbrake lever.

So, get over it. Put your sunnies on when you stop and STFU.

[mickyh7]

My Audi auto brake holds the pressure in the front calipers.
Coming up to stop (brakelights are on), soon as I'm stopped foot off the brake (brake lights go off), auto hold holds car until I press accelerate pedal.
It's a switch next to the electric handbrake.
Saves loads of hassle.
If anything approaches at speed from behind, I just touch my brake pedal to light up my rear brake lights.

[dhutch]

CheesecakeRunner said:

Because, as mentioned above, in a lot of cars it’s how the car is designed.

Which begs the question.... ...why are they designed like that?

Given its a pita, and certainly when I learned to drive, avoiding dazzling the car behind is one of the reasons you're told to use the handbrake for waiting for more than moment.

[mickyh7]

Or you could just do what my Grandfather used to do for years.
Hold the car on the clutch!

[dave_s13]

mickyh7 said:

Or you could just do what my Grandfather used to do for years.
Hold the car on the clutch!

My father in law did that on a hill years ago in a Renault Clio with me and my then fiance in the back. Burnt the clutch out.

Cool story bro....but the hill was in the lion enclosure at Longleat Safari park. And the lions weren't doing their usual thing of being invisible.

[matchmaker]

Joshandcars said:

Sadly been automated for years on cars with “auto hold” functions on electric park brakes. The system illuminates a green “(P)” tell-tale when you’re stationery and the brake lights automatically apply. I agree it’s too arbitrary that you might be at the back of a queue so best have them on… in the world of interconnected systems, you’d have thought the brake lights would extinguish if the park sensors pick up a vehicle behind shame really

My Superb has auto hold. However, if I am stopped for more than a few seconds I apply the handbrake, which turns the brake lights off.

[Mr Miata]

stevemcs said:

Or more and more cars are automatic .... as a rule if i'm stationary for 10 seconds or so I keep my foot on the brake, any longer and i put it in P.

My VW has an automatic handbrake that’s applied when you come to a stop. But it still keeps the brake lights illuminated. The auto hold is disengaged as soon as you press the accelerator.

[Jambo2000]

I'm struggling with how to post on here, I hope someone can help.

How do I do the yaaaaaaaawwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn emoji?

It's only those nice bright brakelights in front of me that are keeping me awake...

[Fastdruid]

sociopath said:

Dazzled? Really?

The OP needs to stop driving if their eyes are that bad.

Appropriate username.

Yes, dazzled.

Personally I don't have an issue 99% of the time but it is noticeable that some makes appear to have fitted what appear to be MW class lasers instead of brake lights and with the trend for ever larger SUV's some end up right at eye level. It is as unpleasant and dazzling to look at them as it would be looking from a similar distance into headlights.

[somouk]

I'm sure I read somewhere that there are stats to provide backup to why this is done, the displaying or brake lights when in queueing traffic massively reduces the chance of someone rear ending you. The logic being the person approaching the queue can clearly see traffic is slowing/stationary and it grabs their attention compared to when sitting with brake lights off.

[donkmeister]

matchmaker said:

My Superb has auto hold. However, if I am stopped for more than a few seconds I apply the handbrake, which turns the brake lights off.

It's been a while since I have driven a Skoda, do you find the stop-start then fires up the engine as some above have noted?

[donkmeister]

Joshandcars said:

Sadly been automated for years on cars with “auto hold” functions on electric park brakes. The system illuminates a green “(P)” tell-tale when you’re stationery and the brake lights automatically apply.

It even predates electric parking brakes. 2001 is the first system I'm familiar with, Mercedes/Bosche Sensotronic which includes "Hold" and "Stop" features.

My E-Class was built with Sensotronic and an old fashioned foot-operated parking brake pedal, way back in 2004. No green P though, that might be a VAG thing.

[768]

I used to get migraines start every Monday evening driving home in rush hour traffic and there were quite a few times I wished the brake lights of the car in front weren't permanently on when stopped.

I don't spend much time in rush hour traffic these days. Occasionally I drive my wife's auto Volvo and there's no way I'm faffing with finding P and the handbrake button/lever thing in a car I'm not familiar with unless we're stopped a good while.

Presumably this will cease to be a thing with electric cars unless anyone actually wants them in creep mode.