Because of the criticality of sensing the movement of the brake pedal, it is vital that the dirty, wet environment have no effect on reliability of the sensor operation. Choosing a hermetically sealed reed sensor that is further packaged in a rugged plastic housing is essential for fault free operation. Also, the reed sensor can remotely sense distances greater than one inch. This is important because the brake pedal can have significant movement to it. The sensing distance must be capable of maintaining its closure from the initial movement of the brake pedal to the end of its movement. In this manner, the brake lights stay on and the cruise control remains off.