On Thu, 5 Jan 2006, James C. Reeves
Not mandatorily, no. Combination brake-tail lamps are just as legal in Europe as they are in North America.
Your list above results in eleven separate compartments on the rear of the car, counting the center brake lamp. Under current European regulations, the minimum total number of compartments, again counting the center brake lamp, is seven. (one center brake, one white backup, one red fog, two red brake-tail, and two amber turn).
Under current US regulations, the minimum total number of compartments, counting the center brake lamp, is four (one center brake, one white backup, two red brake-tail-turn).
The least-costly means of implementing amber rear turn signals calls for five compartments (one center brake, two red brake-tail, two amber backup-turn). This setup, minus the center brake, was common in Australia for several decades and was used in Europe on some vehicles until the backup lamp function was made mandatorily white in the late '70s (Europe) mid '80s (Australia). I have my pickup truck set up this way. Works great...I have amber rear directionals and red brake-tails, without any added lighting devices, rear visibility when in Reverse is perfectly adequate, and just judging by other drivers' reactions when parallel parking in busy city traffic, day or night, nobody has any problem interpreting "left amber burning steadily, right amber flashing" as a vehicle that is reversing and moving rightward.
DS
