Your brake lights tell other drivers that you:
- Are making a turn.
- Have your emergency brake on.
- Are changing lanes.
- Are slowing down or stopping. ✓
Answer: D. Are slowing down or stopping.
Your brake lights tell other drivers that you are slowing down or stopping.
Why this is the answer
The handbook describes releasing the accelerator to let the car slow, then pressing the brake pedal to activate the brake lights while using steady pressure. That sequence shows the brake lights come on when you slow or stop, which is the message the drivers behind you read. The same passage explains why this matters: sudden stops make it hard for the drivers behind you to avoid a rear-end collision, so a clear, steady braking signal helps them react in time.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Are making a turn. — A turn is announced by your turn signal, not by the brake lights, which the handbook ties to pressing the brake pedal to slow the vehicle.
- B. Have your emergency brake on. — Nothing in the passages says brake lights indicate an emergency brake is on; they are described as coming on when you press the brake pedal to slow down.
- C. Are changing lanes. — Changing lanes is shown with your turn signal, while the brake lights are described as part of slowing and stopping smoothly.
Remember it
Think of the brake light as a message sent backward: the pedal goes down, so the driver behind knows you are slowing.
Official handbook: Florida Driver License Handbook (FLHSMV), 7. Driving Safety – Turning, p. 68