Rear Brake Light

[The Duke]

Hi I've just bought a French LHD 2005 RAV4 and the high level rear brake light does not work, I've checked the fuses and they are ok. Doea anyone know if this light is a legal requirement abroad.

[Raistlin]

Yes, and it is also part of the UK MOT unless you disconnect it and show that it has been disabled, but for abroad:

Centre High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL)

In North America since 1986, in Australia and New Zealand since 1990, and in Europe since 1998, a central brake lamp, mounted higher than the vehicle's left and right brake lamps and called a Centre High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL), is also required.

The CHMSL is also sometimes referred to as the centre brake lamp, the third brake light, the eye-level brake lamp, the safety brake lamp, or the high-level brake lamp. The CHMSL may produce light by means of a single central filament bulb, a row or cluster of filament bulbs or LEDs, or a strip of Neon tube.

The CHMSL is intended to provide a deceleration warning to following drivers whose view of the vehicle's left and right stop lamps is blocked by interceding vehicles. It also helps to disambiguate brake vs. turn signal messages in North America, where red rear turn signals identical in appearance to stop lamps are permitted, and also can provide a redundant stop light signal in the event of a stop lamp malfunction.

The CHMSL is generally required to illuminate steadily and not permitted to flash.