Stop lamps

Stop lamps
All stop lamps fitted to the vehicle will be tested and they will have to meet the requirements, whether or not they were required to have them when built. Vehicles that are submitted without front or rear position lamps, e.g competition vehicles etc are not required to be fitted with any other lamp, including stop lamps. However, if they are fitted at the time of test then they get tested. Vehicles first used on or after 1st January 1971 must be fitted with at least two obligatory stop lamps. Vehicles first used before 1st January 1971 must be fitted with one stop lamp either on or to the offside of the vehicle centre line. If more than one stop lamp is fitted they must all work. Vehicles first used before 1st January 1936 are not required to be fitted with a stop lamp. Vehicles first used before 1st September 1965 are permitted to have a stop lamp incorporated with a direction indicator. As mentioned above, additional stop lamps are tested and this includes high level brake lamps. These are usually mounted in spoilers or rear parcel shelves. Since these lamps are over and above the current legal requirements (I know that EEC legislation makes these compulsory on recent vehicles but this has nothing to do with the MOT test at the moment) they are treated more leniently. For example, if a high level lamp is not working, the tester needs to establish whether it's connected because if it isn't then its not a lamp in the eyes of the Law (Yup, I know the Law is an ass). Deciding whether the lamp is connected is of course virtually impossible because the wiring is under trim panels, headliners etc so the upshot is it gets ignored (pass and advise). If the lamp doesn't work because it is obviously defective, e.g bulb blown, wiring broken etc then it fails. You still with me? There is however some logic in all this. In the paragraph above I mentioned stop lamps incorporated with direction indicators and if an obligatory stop lamp did not work or flickered when in operation, it might be confused with an indicator (one reason why the lamps get tapped while they are lit). This would not be the case with a centrally mounted high level stop lamp, would it. In road safety terms then, a high level stop lamp which doesn't work is a minimal risk to other road users. Where multiple led's are employed in a stop lamp then the complete lamp is considered to be a complete bulb as well. This means that some of the led's may not be lit but if the lamp can still be seen then it meets the requirements. Stop lamps must show a steady red light, squarely to the rear and be securely mounted. They must come on when the brake is applied and must not remain on when it's released. As with front and rear lamps, stop lamps must not be obscured. However, to allow for vehicle build characteristics and embellishments, at least 50% of the lamp must be visible from the rear.

Stop lamps

All stop lamps fitted to the vehicle will be tested and they will have to meet the requirements, whether or not they were required to have them when built.

Vehicles that are submitted without front or rear position lamps, e.g competition vehicles etc are not required to be fitted with any other lamp, including stop lamps. However, if they are fitted at the time of test then they get tested.

Vehicles first used on or after 1st January 1971 must be fitted with at least two obligatory stop lamps.

Vehicles first used before 1st January 1971 must be fitted with one stop lamp either on or to the offside of the vehicle centre line. If more than one stop lamp is fitted they must all work.

Vehicles first used before 1st January 1936 are not required to be fitted with a stop lamp.

Vehicles first used before 1st September 1965 are permitted to have a stop lamp incorporated with a direction indicator.

As mentioned above, additional stop lamps are tested and this includes high level brake lamps. These are usually mounted in spoilers or rear parcel shelves. Since these lamps are over and above the current legal requirements (I know that EEC legislation makes these compulsory on recent vehicles but this has nothing to do with the MOT test at the moment) they are treated more leniently. For example, if a high level lamp is not working, the tester needs to establish whether it's connected because if it isn't then its not a lamp in the eyes of the Law (Yup, I know the Law is an ass). Deciding whether the lamp is connected is of course virtually impossible because the wiring is under trim panels, headliners etc so the upshot is it gets ignored (pass and advise). If the lamp doesn't work because it is obviously defective, e.g bulb blown, wiring broken etc then it fails. You still with me? There is however some logic in all this. In the paragraph above I mentioned stop lamps incorporated with direction indicators and if an obligatory stop lamp did not work or flickered when in operation, it might be confused with an indicator (one reason why the lamps get tapped while they are lit). This would not be the case with a centrally mounted high level stop lamp, would it. In road safety terms then, a high level stop lamp which doesn't work is a minimal risk to other road users.

Where multiple led's are employed in a stop lamp then the complete lamp is considered to be a complete bulb as well. This means that some of the led's may not be lit but if the lamp can still be seen then it meets the requirements.

Stop lamps must show a steady red light, squarely to the rear and be securely mounted. They must come on when the brake is applied and must not remain on when it's released.

As with front and rear lamps, stop lamps must not be obscured. However, to allow for vehicle build characteristics and embellishments, at least 50% of the lamp must be visible from the rear.

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