LED brake lights and LED taillights are important parts of your vehicle. Almost every vehicle is equipped with both brake lights and tail lights, which are located at the rear of your vehicle. But what exactly are these lights for and what is the difference between the brake light and the taillight? We'll explain that to you in this blog!

Verschil remlicht en achterlicht

The difference between brake light and taillight, we explain it to you!

The LED brake light alerts fellow road users when you reduce speed, such as at a traffic light, to avoid anticipation and accidents. If your car was put into service after Sept. 30, 2001, it is mandatory to have a third brake light at the rear. A defective light can result in a fine of 90 euros, regardless of whether the other two lights work. During the MOT inspection, all brake lights must function. The brake light is distinguished by its brightness; when you press the brake pedal, the brake lights will shine brighter than the other lights.

Rear light

The LED rear light aims to make you visible to other road users. Especially crucial in the dark or bad weather, but also especially during winter weather conditions. Visibility is essential, and failure of these lights to function or be visible can result in significant fines. During MOT inspection, all tail lights must work, similar to the requirements for brake lights.

LED rear light

Do the rules for brake light and rear light also apply to other vehicles?

As mentioned earlier, three brake lights and two tail lights are mandatory on the rear of a car placed in service after Sept. 30, 2001. But do these rules also apply to other vehicles, such as trucks, trailers, motorcycles and agricultural vehicles? Taillights and brake lights are mandatory on almost every motor vehicle, but the specific rules vary by type of vehicle. Below are the detailed regulations for each type of vehicle.

Freight traffic

For truck traffic, the same lighting requirements for brake light and taillight apply as for passenger cars, but with some additional requirements. This still includes the requirement of two brake lights and two tail lights. In addition, additional line markings and two red reflectors must be present, a requirement that applies only to truck traffic and not to passenger cars.

Trailers

For trailers, the lighting requirements are almost identical to those for passenger cars. The only difference is that only two brake lights are required instead of three. There is no distinction for rear lights compared to passenger cars, where two must also be present.

Motor Vehicles

For motor vehicles, slightly more complex rules apply. For motorcycles, one taillight and one brake light are mandatory. However, if you have a three-wheeled motor vehicle with a width of 1.3 meters or wider, two brake lights and two taillights must be present. Three-wheeled motor vehicles narrower than 1.3 meters may have one brake light and one taillight.

AGRICULTURAL VEHICLES

The same rules apply to agricultural vehicles as to truck traffic. That means two brake lights and two tail lights are mandatory on this type of vehicle.

What do the brake light and taillight need to meet for the apk inspection?

First, all lights must function correctly, be moisture-proof and produce an undistorted light image. Second, the lenses must be clear and unpainted. Finally, brake lights must be red or amber and tail lights must be red. The use of white is not allowed and will result in rejection and replacement.

Difference between halogen/led brake lights and taillights

The most commonly used light sources today are halogen and LED. This also applies to taillights and brake lights. But what exactly is the difference between these light sources and which light source does TRALERT® recommend?

Halogen lighting

Halogen lamps have some advantages, including good brightness and width, relatively low purchase cost and excellent color rendering. However, they also have disadvantages, such as shorter life compared to LED lighting, generating a lot of heat and inefficient use of energy, sensitivity to high voltages. Also, they may actually not be produced since 2018 due to environmental concerns. If you are looking for new lighting, you are less likely to come across halogen bulbs because of these limitations.

LED lights

LED bulbs offer numerous advantages. They are extremely energy efficient, wasting almost no energy. The lifetime of LED lights is up to 35 times longer than that of halogen lamps. LED lights are available in different shapes and light colors, withstand peak voltages and offer a wide range of brightness levels. Although purchase costs are higher than halogen lighting, these costs are offset in the long run by the durability of LED lamps. At TRALERT®, we stand for high quality and service, which is why we recommend LED lighting over halogen lights because of the many benefits it brings.

TRALERT® range in led brake light and led taillight

Bij TRALERT® ben je aan het juiste adres voor LED remlichten en LED achterlichten. We bieden een uitgebreid assortiment van hoge kwaliteit. Je vindt losse remlichten en achterlichten in ons assortiment, evenals combinatie achterlichten waarin zowel LED remlicht als LED achterlicht zijn geïntegreerd. Deze combinatielampen zijn handig omdat je niet alle lampen afzonderlijk hoeft te monteren, alles zit in één lamp verwerkt. Sommige van deze lampen zijn zelfs uitgerust met dynamische knipperlichten. Bovendien hebben we combinatielampen met een opvallende Lavaflow-look, ook wel neon genoemd. Tot slot kunnen sommige combinatielampen worden voorzien van kentekenverlichting aan de onderzijde, linker- of rechterzijde, waardoor ze zorgen voor een professionele uitstraling van jouw voertuig.

FEATURED PRODUCT
VC-2001B7.1, LED Neon achterlicht
This combination light is equipped with a brake light, rear light, reversing light, triangular reflector, dynamic flashing light and fog light. This LED light is very suitable for your trailer, semi-trailer or truck.
LED remlicht en LED achterlicht

Hamburger lamp brake light and taillight

Naast combinatielampen biedt TRALERT® ook andere opties in ons assortiment, zoals losse lampen. Een voorbeeld hiervan zijn de hamburgerlampen. Een ronde achterlicht die beschikbaar is met mistlicht, achteruitrijlicht en reguliere verlichting. Als je deze lampen naast elkaar monteert op jouw voertuig, beschik je nog steeds over alle vereiste verlichting. Hieronder is een foto toegevoegd om een beter beeld te krijgen van de hamburgerlampen.

LED hamburger lamp

Are the brake lights and taillights certified?

As mentioned earlier, TRALERT® stands for quality in their products. This quality is clearly reflected in the products, which all bear both a CE mark and an E mark. The CE mark is a European standard for the safety of various products in the European Union. Would you like to know more about the CE mark? We wrote a blog about this too.

Why choose
for
TRALERT®?

TRALERT® is the specialist when it comes to LED vehicle lighting. Our LED brake lights and LED tail lights are thoroughly tested for quality and continuously improved. Therefore, you can always count on high-quality lamps. In the unlikely event that a lamp should fail, this is not a problem. With our service we offer you a warranty from 2 years to even lifetime. So you are assured of the quality of your purchase. Moreover, we offer technical support to help you choose the right lighting, where needed.

What is the delivery time of a brake light and taillight?

TRALERT® guarantees excellent service, and so does our fast delivery. Thanks to our large stock, in which 90% of our range is available, we can make this possible. If you order before 3 p.m., you will have your brake lights or tail lights delivered the next day.

Which brake light and taillight is suitable for my vehicle?

Almost all brake lights and taillights are equipped with 9-36V multivoltage, allowing them to be mounted on almost any vehicle. Moreover, our experts are always ready to offer you technical advice. So, if you are not sure, do not hesitate to call or email TRALERT®. We will be happy to help you.

Curious about our product range in rear lights?