Driver Responses to High-Mounted Brake Lights in Actual Traffic

Abstract

This study evaluated brake responses of unsuspecting drivers to brake-signal presentations using a conventional brake- lamp system with and without supplemental high-mounted brake lamp(s). The signals were presented in actual traffic during the daytime at speeds of 48 to 72 kmlh. The main finding is that the signals given by the systems with one or two supplemental high-mounted brake lamps were more likely to produce a brake response by a following driver. On the other hand, the reaction times of the brake responses did not vary between the systems.