Tinted tail lights, now complete with pics.

[Anthony]

Hey radioprius, I just called my brother in law who is a Washington state patrol officer. He emailed me what is highlighted below. Maybe I will sue some dumbass who rear-ends me. As long as the lights still appear to be red, there is no law, no distance, no nothing. Chew on that for awhile big boy.

RCW 46.37.100
Color of clearance lamps, side marker lamps, back-up lamps, and reflectors.
(1) Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.

(2) Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.

(3) All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color, except the stop lamp or other signal device, which may be red, amber, or yellow, and except that on any vehicle forty or more years old, or on any motorcycle regardless of age, the taillight may also contain a blue or purple insert of not more than one inch in diameter, and except that the light illuminating the license plate shall be white and the light emitted by a back-up lamp shall be white or amber.


So from my understanding of that the smoked tail lights are legal as long as the light displayed is still of proper color...


Take care bro, don't let the keyboard rambos get you down, do your own thing and life will take care of them.

[radioprius1]

It doesn't matter that the lights appears red. The point of brake lights is to be BRIGHT so that people behind you see them and know you are slowing down. You have put TINT over your tail lights. I can not think of a more dangerous thing to do. That makes them less bright and therefore less likely to catch the attention of a driver.

You'll be the person who has to live with it on their conscious when a car load of little kids die because you basically don't have tail lights anymore. I'm sure you'll be able to sleep because they are still "red." It scares me that you would consider someone a "dumbass" who might rear-end you because they can't see your tinted tail lights. I don't think your brain is working on all four cylinders.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by radioprius1

It doesn't matter that it still appears red. The point of brake lights is to be BRIGHT so that people behind you see them and know you are slowing down. You have put TINT over your tail lights. I can not think of a more dangerous thing to do. That makes them less bright and therefore less likely to catch the attention of a driver.

You'll be the person who has to live with it on their conscious when a car load of little kids die because you basically don't have tail lights anymore. I'm sure you'll be able to sleep because they are still "red."

So now you are arguing with the law, OMG man, get a life!!!

[radioprius1]

Some Google-ing has revealed the following:

1. You can get a ticket for having tinted tail lights. Two reasons:
A. Regarding DOT approval
B. Tail light must be visible at 1000 feet

2. If you get rear ended with tinted tail lights you can be found at fault

Good luck with that!!!

[Anthony]

Why do you have such a hard on about this, all I was doing was showing what I did, if you don't like it fine, but stop going on and on and on about it. Each state has it's own law, I posted mine, now piss off back to the rock you crawled out from.

[radioprius1]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Why do you have such a hard on about this, all I was doing was showing what I did, if you don't like it fine, but stop going on and on and on about it. Each state has it's own law, I posted mine, now piss off back to the rock you crawled out from.

I just think it's irresponsible and illegal.

All you are doing is endangering other people. You are asking for an accident by making your tail lights less visible. It looks nice but should only be on a show car.

[Anthony]

Dude, I really have nothing more to say to you, your not worth my time.

[radioprius1]

"..Taillamps shall be red in color and shall be plainly visible from all distances within 500 feet to the rear except that taillamps on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1969, shall be plainly visible from all distances within 1,000 feet to the rear..."

"(d) Lighting Devices and Reflectors. All lighting devices and reflectors required by applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or part 393. of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for all commercial motor vehicles when the particular vehicle was originally manufactured and such devices required by state law or Rules and Regulations applicable to the particular vehicle inspected shall be securely attached to the vehicle and capable of performing their design functions. Lenses must be intact, clean, unobstructed, and free from cracks."

This is a quick question for anyone familiar with the law: if you intentionally make your car not DOT compliant, etc, and you cause an accident can you get charged with harsher offenses than normal? Ie, if some random person happened to tint their tail lights and then got into a wreck because they put out so few lumens, could that random person be charged with manslaughter?

[SlowTurd]

he lives in the pacific northwest


who's going to rear-end him? a moose?

[rrolff]

Originally Posted by radioprius1

It scares me that you would consider someone a "dumbass" who might rear-end you because they can't see your tinted tail lights. I don't think your brain is working on all four cylinders.

I must have missed this quote - I didn't think anyone was *directly* calling you a dumbass. That said, create a good argument (meaning compare/contrast the topic - with personal observations), and make an informed post.

Saying they are less observable while on, is a direct point which is valid. Saying that without observation is subject to whatever the Internet may throw...

I believe my point stands - and I am hoping he catches an alien (at minimum a few photos of the encounter). There is life out there...

WE ARE NOT ALONE!