As long as I've been driving, I don't think I've ever burned out a brake light. I lost one headlight on the '63 bug, a turn lamp on the Toyota - but never a brake light.
Last night, driving in the pouring rain with wife, son and a friend of his (glad I had my new Kumhos) - and I got the "check brake lights" message in the display. When we stopped, I checked it and confirmed the left one was indeed out. I fixed it today.
How nice to be told, and reminded (since I couldn't deal with it last night, and frankly, had momentarily forgotten about it the one time I used my car today.) And how nice that new cars have 3 brake lights. I wasn't quite so worried about not being seen.
A simple story - but an issue we don't think about too much.