this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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Please allow me this opportunity to jump in and complain about the minority, but not insignificant number, of people that don't seem to be aware that that is even an option (just taking your foot off of the gas/accelerator to slowly decelerate).
Every couple weeks or so I seem to find myself behind someone that's always either accelerating, or braking, with the brake lights repeatedly flashing on momentarily for no apparent reason. It's like they realize that they're going just a little faster than they want, and definitely don't want to accelerate any more, so the only thing they know to do is hit the brake, instead of just taking their foot off of the accelerator. So they've hit the brake and now they're going too slow, so foot moves off the brake and back to the accelerator. Rinse, lather, repeat.
End rant. Thank you for this opportunity to vent.
In many EVs and Hybrids the "letting off the accelerator" engages the regeneration drag which slows the car. A number of vehicle makers with particularly aggressive drag (which gets higher regen rates) automatically illuminate the brake lights. So if you're behind one of these it will look like they are braking when they may have no foot on any pedal (brake or accelerator).
I just got a Chevy Volt and when I let up off the accelerator it will start the regen and significantly decrease my speed. I assume that my brake lights are coming on because so far no one has rear-ended me or yelled at me for not having brake lights. I wish there was a good way to tell for sure though. I think it's Hyundai that does not engage the brake lights for situations like this, as I've about hit one before.
I don't think they illuminate the brake lights, hence my comment. Technology connections has talked about this, although IDK which video it was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F4iyghT-qA
I was curious if anyone had actually tested it or not, and I found the video above where they get right into it, without any intros or family history or begging to like & subscribe... just a short video where they test it and find that, YES!, the brake lights do come on when you use the steering wheel paddle brake or when you're in L gear and take your foot off the accelerator.
Here's the technology connections test/analysis from 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YW7x9U5TQ
The claim is we need more comprehensive regulation for brake/slow down lights.