Brake Lights Will Now Flash: the EU Rolls Out Its Emergency Stop Signal Rule
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From 7 July 2026 every new car registered in the EU must have an Emergency Stop Signal that flashes the brake lights under hard braking. Cars already on the road are left untouched.
The European Union is bringing in yet another safety requirement for new cars. As Motor1 Italia reports, from 7 July 2026 every new car registered for the first time in the EU must be fitted with an Emergency Stop Signal, or ESS.
The principle is simple: under normal braking the stop lamps stay lit, while under emergency braking they start flashing rapidly. That is meant to grab the attention of whoever is following behind and give them a little more time to react. The function kicks in above 50 km/h and at a deceleration of more than 6 m/s².
In some situations the hazard lights can switch on by themselves once the car has come to a complete stop. The rule applies to new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in categories M1 and N1 registered for the first time from 7 July 2026.
Owners of cars that have already been built and registered have nothing to retrofit. Many manufacturers had introduced the feature ahead of time, but it now becomes a mandatory condition for registering a new vehicle.
