An application from a company specializing in pulsating brake lights for trucks has been denied by federal regulators despite strong support from the trucking industry.
Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Intellistop Inc., which makes a device that prompts preexisting brake lights to pulse briefly for added safety when brakes are engaged (see video, below), had sought an industrywide exemption from federal regulations that require all commercial vehicles be equipped with steady-burning brake lamps.
Intellistop’s exemption application, filed in 2020, had been supported by the American Trucking Associations, the Arkansas Trucking Association, Werner Enterprises and several other carriers and individuals.
But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ruled that a major bar it uses to grant such exemptions — evidence that it would achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than would be achieved absent the exemption — had not been cleared.
“While the agency recognizes the existing data that supports the potential safety value of alternative rear-signaling systems in general, it is also mindful of the data deficiencies in this area,” FMCSA stated in a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
“Data deficiencies include the effect on nearby drivers if many vehicles on a roadway are equipped with pulsing brake lights and whether such lighting would serve to improve driver attention or, alternatively, cause confusion or distraction.”
FMCSA also noted that Intellistop’s exemption request contrasts with previous exemption applications it approved that apply to auxiliary lamps for individual companies and organizations. Intellistop’s exemption, by comparison, would alter the functioning of required lamps and would apply to all commercial vehicles.
“FMCSA is required to monitor implementation of the exemption to ensure compliance with its terms and conditions and ensure that operation under the exemption meets and maintains an equivalent level of safety,” the agency stated. “Because of the broad scope of Intellistop’s application, FMCSA would not be able to sufficiently monitor operations under the exemption.”
Intellistop’s application was not unopposed: An influential dissenter was the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).
CVSA acknowledged data supporting the safety benefits of amber brake-activated pulsing lamps, but it opposed equipping trucks with pulsing red lamps because they are typically associated with emergency vehicles.
“Allowing red pulsating lamps on the rear of commercial motor vehicles may negatively impact the driving public’s recognition and response to emergency vehicles,” CVSA stated. “Further, many states have laws prohibiting nonemergency vehicles from having pulsating red lights. If the exemption allows for the installation of red pulsating lights, it would be in direct conflict with state laws in several states.”
The Transportation Safety Equipment Institute (TSEI), which lobbies for standardization of vehicle safety equipment, also urged FMCSA to deny the application.
“The requirement that stop lamps … be steady burning is longstanding,” TSEI stated. “We do not believe FMCSA should make the leap from pulsating brake-activated warning or auxiliary lamps to pulsating required lamps without a thorough consideration of safety data and research … to ensure consistency across all vehicles equipped with such lamps.”
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Dan
I believe it’s an excellent idea, there are those drivers who follow too closely and could save and or reduce accidents even save lives, if you are unable to see the driver because they are soo close and the traffic conditions so sometimes it could help avoid what we just saw in the video, whether you’re doing 25mp or hwy posted speed limits. I was a long haul driver for only five years, I did see many of them, I was fortunate enough not to have been.
Dan
Everyone look up de acceleration
lamp not brake lights .maybe that’s the confusion
JACK SINGAL
are not most private vehicles coming out and have already had a third pulsing brake light for years now? How is this any different. Progress at the speed of government would make a glacier seem fast
Chris
So we should do more of the same and expect change. A truck getting rear ended is the cars fault period. Trucks brake much slower then a car. The majority of accidents that trucks are involved are the cars fault. On phones, following to close or changing lanes to close to trucks. Break checking a semi because we move to slow. The list goes on and on, but these matters are never addressed. Non semi drivers say semi drivers need more training, we can only do so much it takes a football field to stop a loaded truck at highway legal speed in good weather. Car drivers drive in blind spots, won’t let you over in construction zones, etc. Would be nice if we all went on strike for 2 weeks and see what would happen. No food, gas, medicine everything comes on a truck yet we are the problem. Lack or respect for trucks on the road is the issue. This agency should focus on parking spots for trucks. That has been a major problem for over 20 years.
David Ables
I understand about the distraction lights can cause for other motorists. This does not seem like a big distraction with so many dangerous lighting issues on the road this seems minimal. The worst thing for motorists with concerns of light is the fact that there is no regulation on how bright lights can be. Head lights to me are the biggest issue across the board. So are the super bright lights on some emergency vehicles. I wonder how many accidents are caused from blind head lights . Today’s vehicles lights are way to strong . Not to mention the fact the angle can’t be adjusted. How is it that this is not a national safety concern?
Allen
We already have some trucks in our area that have these and they are distracting and don’t meet vehicle requirements in our state. We also have strobes on school busses and they can also be distracting especially in fog and poor weather How about we just teach people how to drive.
Tony marts
I often wondered how come tractor trailers have the smallest globe lights you see on vehicles today in the modern age? Have you seen some of the tail lights on some of these cars they’re the size of melons they’re huge and on the suburbans they look like small children, the brake globe itself is enormous on most vehicles these days why is it that semi tractor trailers still have the small little globes from the 40s and 50s? Maybe if the brake lights were bigger people would see them more. I mean really have you ever been in back of a semi tractor trailer and see how small those round lights are you can cover them with the palm of your hand. That including fingers. LOL but have you seen the break tail lights of some of these automobiles today and in the past 15 years or some on the big suburbans, they’re huge and they’re so bright they’re almost blinding. Let’s get those little brake lights they have on tractor trailers are nothing compared to what’s on the vehicles of the modern age and the past 20 years, that needs to change. Or how about the brake lights around the trailer back doors as well, you put directionals on the left and right side of the trailers when a semi is getting over those are middle markers in the middle of the trailer as a truck is getting over to the left or right when the markers light up why can’t you have brake markers on the back of the trailer around the doors itself. A whole lot could be done here and this is a good start…. And good drivers are the key also but smart drivers.
James
I see a lot of Honda civics with pulsating flashing red brake lights anymore I don’t see them getting pulled over at all in several stated which require permits for red flashing lights of any kind. Something needs to be done with the excessive bright LED and projector head lights and off road light bars the I see more and more people running on big rigs and cars and trucks.
Patrick ford
Not just Honda, BMW. MERCEDES have started using the pulsating lights. Of this is such a “state violation” it sounds like they need to talk to DOT and start getting those vehicles off the road
John
I don’t use brake lights..in my first year of driving sometime in I believe 2008 maybe 2007 , I came across an accident in Texas where a roadway guy crashed into a gravel trail truck(rear-end) and died…..alot of those don’t have working brake lights although they illuminate… fast forward and after about a year I got the hang of it….need to apply that to all vehicles literally watching if it slows down…..driving is work , it’s a skill
I’m glad they denied it..seems distracting , better trained drivers is what’s needed…when I saw it , I found it distracting , maybe I miss something on the left some sort of vehicle veering into my lane or something like that…I didn’t like ….most skilled drivers don’t use lights for much
8 years CDL-a experience, mostly van about 1 year of reefer, and yes I know , driving like that would be tough for flatbed , but I think could be done maybe not as good . Pulsating lights are not good altho, may have some benefits for a new driver….I think young drivers need to educated about not using lights , this isn’t something you should figure out on your own…probably some flaws with that , I think it’s worth looking into