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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Driving / March 2008lighting legality question
Hi all, I've discovered the one downside to having the camper shell on the Ugly Truck... this was a Craigslist find (me being chea^H^H^H^Hfrugal as a habit) so I didn't have much choice in options, it was more like "does it fit my truck? OK, good. sold." Anyway, it's near impossible to see out of the back window at night in an unlit area, like my neighborhood, since I'm not only looking through the stock back window but the window in front of the shell, and the deeply tinted rearmost window as well. Seeing as I share my driveway with the next door neighbors, this brings up the possibility that I might misjudge the distance to their car at night while using the side mirrors to back up, and or miss a pedestrian or something... not good. So my question is this. I'm envisioning some auxiliary backup lights under the bumper, possibly with a relay to disable them when the headlights are not in use, question is, is it legal to do this, and what would be acceptable to use? White colored fog lights? anything that works? or are there any specific laws that address this situation? thanks, nate  Signaturereplace "roosters" with "cox" to reply. http://members.cox.net/njnagel > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > would be acceptable to use? White colored fog lights? anything that > works? or are there any specific laws that address this situation? I've seen aux lights on the back of pickups... idiots driving with them on in traffic a couple of times. As far as I know so long as they turned off when on the road they are legal. > I'm envisioning some auxiliary backup lights > under the bumper, possibly with a relay to disable them when the > headlights are not in use, question is, is it legal to do this, and what > would be acceptable to use? White colored fog lights? anything that > works? or are there any specific laws that address this situation? 46.2-1020. Other permissible lights. Unless such lighting device is both covered and unlit, no motor vehicle which is equipped with any lighting device other than lights required or permitted in this article, required or approved by the Superintendent, or required by the federal Department of Transportation shall be operated on any highway in the Commonwealth. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-1020 ----- - gpsman > > I'm envisioning some auxiliary backup lights > > under the bumper, possibly with a relay to disable them when the [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Superintendent, or required by the federal Department of > Transportation shall be ***operated on any highway*** in the Commonwealth.http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-1020 Hey, sh.t-for-brains - he specifically said he wasn't going to drive around with them on. Gawd, but you are total idiot... E.P. > > > I'm envisioning some auxiliary backup lights > > > under the bumper, possibly with a relay to disable them when the [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Hey, sh.t-for-brains - he specifically said he wasn't going to drive > around with them on. Lol. Where did you interpret he specifically said that? "possibly with a relay to disable them when the headlights are not in use"...?! AAR, I believe the code I cited specifically addressed 2 of his 5 concerns; "is it legal to do this" (Yes) and "are there any specific laws that address this situation" (Yes). (If my math is correct, you're O-fer...) Additional information that may be gleaned from the code is that any such auxiliary lights must remain covered, even if "unlit", which I think kinda shoots the sh.t out of their potential "convenience". I could have suggested he practice and learn to back using only the side mirrors, and ride the brakes a little when additional illumination is required, and if that proved insufficient "get out and look", but since those are stupid LCV backing techniques I just figured they would be rejected as "retarded" due to their lack of absolute and utter perfection. > Gawd, but you are total idiot... Yes, of course. Thanks for pointing that out, your contribution is obviously superior. ----- - gpsman > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > night while using the side mirrors to back up, and or miss a pedestrian > or something... not good. My dad's last truck was like that. The rear window of the cab was tinted dark, then the FRONT window of the cap was tinted, and the rear window of the cap was tinted. You really had to ride the brakes a bit to back it up in dark areas. > So my question is this. I'm envisioning some auxiliary backup lights > under the bumper, possibly with a relay to disable them when the > headlights are not in use, question is, is it legal to do this, and what > would be acceptable to use? White colored fog lights? anything that > works? or are there any specific laws that address this situation? As I understand the law up here, they have to be covered when not in use. The link GPSman gave seems to say VA is the same way. My ranger came from the previous owner with 2 KC style sealed beam lights on hinges mounted to the rear bumper, with a switch in the cab under the headlight controls. No covers, and that's how he'd been driving it in MA for years. It's how I drove it in NH until one quit. Neither of us ever had an issue. It was quite nice when turning around off-road in tight spots, but I really never used them on the street. No need to with no cap and a sliding rear window. If I were really concerned about the letter of the law I'd get some bright KC lights. You've seen them, the covers have big yellow plastic smilies for covers to be legal on-road. Even with the covers they'd throw enough light to assist backing up, and if it's only for a minute at a time well spaced apart it shouldn't melt the covers. Then if you're working behind the truck sometime, or tailgating, you pull the covers and Walla... daytime. > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > -- > replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel Use a relay and hook an aux light to the backup lights- it'll be a legally required light, and won't need to be covered. There is no law (proooobably) saying you can't add more of a required type light- such as refitting a center brake light to an older car. That said, I don't think anyone on the planet has ever been harassed for having an extra backup light, as long as the thing wasn't on while going forwards. Dave > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > would be acceptable to use? White colored fog lights? anything that > works? or are there any specific laws that address this situation? Don't see how two extra backup lights could be illegal. To be safe you could remove the bulbs from the stock lights, then you'd still only have two in total. Where I live backup lights are not required, and I'm not aware of a maximum number of lights either, but if there is a limit I guess it would be no more than two. I know I could legally mount as many work lights as I feel like, activated by a separate switch, on the rear, side, or front of all my vehicles. I considered buying four 55w lights and mount on the roof bars, facing the sides and rear, on my Jeep so I'd see better when driving off road. Never got around to it though... > thanks, > > nate Ulf |
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