Interpretation ID: 24099.ztv

Ms. Karen Benedix
21240 S. Western Avenue, #11
Torrance, CA 90501

Dear Ms. Benedix:

This is in reply to your letter of February 21, 2002, with reference to Federal stop lamp requirements.

You have asked for specific requirements "for the number of brake lamps and also the amount of illumination required for each lamp" on passenger cars.

Original and replacement equipment stop lamps must comply with Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 571.108 (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Table III of Standard No. 108 requires a vehicle to be equipped with at least two stop lamps, one on each side of the vertical centerline, as far apart as practicable, and a center high-mounted stop lamp. The two lower-mounted stop lamps may be supplemented by additional stop lamps (which must be functionally and operationally similar to the required ones, and must not impair the effectiveness of the required stop lamps). The center high-mounted stop lamp must remain a single lamp and cannot be supplemented with an additional lamp.

Table III requires that the lower-mounted stop lamps be designed to conform with SAE Standard J586 FEB84, which has been incorporated by reference into Standard No. 108 and contains photometric requirements for these lamps. Table III requires that the center high-mounted stop lamp be designed to conform with SAE Standard J186a, September 1977, except that the photometric requirements for the center lamp are those of Figure 10 of Standard No. 108.

I hope that this answers your question.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Glassman
Chief Counsel

ref:108
d.4/5/02