In manual cars, it's always felt wrong how much and how fast the car can decelerate by changing to lower gears without the brake light turning on - even if you are not technically using the brake, you can lower the speed so much as to create a dangerous situation with the guy coming behind, and therefore turning on the brake light would be appropriate.
It’s a feature not a bug. Everyone immediately SLAMS the brake when they see a cop and it’s a dead giveaway if you want to get a speeding ticket. Engine braking has saved me more than once because you can slow down without being an immediate target for the cop.
