But it does raise a good point with those vehicles which qualify for the extended WoF inspection period (vehicles first registered on or after January 1, 2000). Certainly any light-related issue would have been picked up at the earlier six-month inspection which potentially reduces the time period the brake lights are inactive.
We must not forget also that routine vehicle servicing, which should include a full check of lights among other safety-critical items, is being stretched out further these days. It all adds up to the fact that all the quick checks on items such as lights, tyres, wipers and rubber boots, etc, are no longer being done by workshops as often as they were.
I know from my past industry experience that many of the testing stations and WoF-approved garages always carried a number of spare bulbs in stock, so a quick replacement could be done on the spot to avoid customer inconvenience.
Based on that, I suspect a reasonably high number of vehicles were being rejected for blown bulbs including stop/tail lights.
When vehicles roll off assembly lines, the last thing manufacturers want is customers returning to workshops for minor rectification work such as replacing blown bulbs, so the bulbs fitted are usually high quality and good for at least five years. After that, the standards and life expectancy vary when bulbs are replaced, as the after-market options can be quality and price driven.
The problem with lights is that unless you do your own checks, you may never know whether they are all working. All lights are important, but those bright brake lights are in-your-face alerts for following drivers that let them know the vehicle in front is braking.
And, like indicating a change in direction, it's sometimes a last-minute decision by the driver ahead.
Taking them away or having only one working heightens the risk of a nasty nose-to-tail accident.
I also noticed during my reconnaissance a number of high stop light units, especially on the older fleet, either swinging in the breeze in the rear windows hanging by their wiring looms only, or not working at all.
Some also looked well past their use-by date and were faded and pretty much ineffective.
These date back to the days of the high stop light being an aftermarket accessory or in some cases being added during local assembly. Hopefully any issues with these lights are being picked up at WoF time.
So make sure you do your own self-checks, or even better, do a good deed for a fellow motorist and let them know (if you can) if their lights are not up to scratch. It may help avoid a potentially nasty accident, reduce the risk of being pulled over by the authorities and also help keep the roads a little safer.
Good places to check and give a friendly reminder to other drivers are in supermarket carparks where there are always a number of slow-moving vehicles and lots of brakes being applied when entering or exiting individual parking spots.
I'm sure most drivers would appreciate being told in a friendly way if there was a brake light issue with their vehicle.
For less than the cost of a muffin and a coffee a vehicle can be made a lot safer if a blown bulb or two are replaced.
