Professional, actually. I am an appointed member of the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board Visibility Committee, the Society of Automotive Engineers' Lighting Committee, and several other relevant bodies. I'm also the Global Editor of the automotive lighting industry's trade journal.
the lens disperses the light to the sides but not as much as incandescants. (you are right about that)
And that's the problem — you have reduced the safety performance of your brake lights, which is not a wise or smart thing to have done, because it increases the likelihood of you getting injured and your car getting damaged.