Cops don't like Carbon Fiber hood?
07-22-2010, 05:15 AM
#81
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Living in the Omaha, NE area, traveling all over the continent
Posts: 194
Misiniformation abounds in this thread. I'll try to clarify a few things here. Bear with me, this may take some time.
California has the strictest emissions regulations in the country. Rather than spend the time and money to research their own regulations, several states have decided to follow those set forth by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Most states do not. A CARB exemption order number is granted to aftermarket parts that have been submitted to CA state authorities for testing, and have been proven to not have a significantly negative affect on emissions. However, a CARB EO # means absolutely nothing in any state that doesn't follow CARB regulations. Attaining a CARB EO # for a part can cost a significant amount of money, and can take years. On top of that, the manufacturer would have to submit every single version of the part for testing. For example, CAI's for the tC and the xB would have to be subimtted seperately, and each be granted their own CARB EO #, even if they use nearly identical parts and are made by the same manufacturer. Because of the cost and time needed to attain a CARB EO #, and the relatively low percentage of people that it applies to, most manufacturers have stopped bothering with it. However, because California's regulations are the strictest, if a part receives a CARB EO #, then it becomes 50-state legal (as far as emissions are concerned). Pretty much every after-market part, legal or not, will say that it's "for off-road use only". That doesn't necessarily mean that it's illegal. That's just a disclaimer so that you can't sue the manufacturer for implying that it is legal.
Emissions are not the only relevant factor when considering legality. Some states require an emissions test and a visual inspection. This is a regulation that was started by CARB. Some states only require an emissions test. Some states have absolutely no testing or inspections at all, such as Nebraska, where I live now (this is me teasing you). Some parts that will not affect the emissions test may still fail a visual inspection. Intakes, either short-ram or cold-air, are a primary example of this. As noted by others, there are also noise pollution laws to consider with some parts. The specific dB rating varies from state to state, but CA is the only place I've ever heard of the police actually carrying the equipment to test this. I remember, years ago, hearing about a state where carbon fiber body panels were illegal due to their ability to splinter if hit on the edge, though I don't remember what state that was.
This all boils down to one thing: if you want to stay legal you'll have to research the laws that apply to you. They can pretty much always be found online, if you have enough time and patience.
That aside, if a cop wants to give you a ticket, you're getting a ticket. Case in point, I once received a ticket for reckless driving while sitting in line at the drive-thru at Taco Bell. The cop never even saw me move my car. I took it to court and won. The cop then pulled me over every time he saw me on the road for the next two years. And for the guy that was defending the police - that kind of horse dookie is the reason I don't like cops. Another example: there was a car show in San Diego where the police showed up and impounded every single vehicle there, including all the show cars that were brought in on trailers and weren't even registered for the street. That kind of stuff is the reason I don't regret moving away from California and Arizona.
One last thing: If you exercise your right to refuse a search of your vehicle, that will constitute probable cause. There is court precedent for this. It's happened before and the court upheld it, therefore, the police are allowed to do it whenever they want - 4th ammendment be damned.
Are you wondering whether or not my facts are correct, or how I know this? Allow me to explain: I spent 2 years running a street racing club in the Pheonix, AZ area (a CARB state) during which time I worked directly with a few manufacturers of aftermarket parts. I've received about 60 tickets covering about 200 citations, and been arrested 6 times for traffic violations. I spent 5 years and almost $20,000 getting my license back. More recently I wrote a driver training manual covering all applicable DOT laws for my job. I probably have more first-hand experience with this stuff than anyone else on SL.
California has the strictest emissions regulations in the country. Rather than spend the time and money to research their own regulations, several states have decided to follow those set forth by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Most states do not. A CARB exemption order number is granted to aftermarket parts that have been submitted to CA state authorities for testing, and have been proven to not have a significantly negative affect on emissions. However, a CARB EO # means absolutely nothing in any state that doesn't follow CARB regulations. Attaining a CARB EO # for a part can cost a significant amount of money, and can take years. On top of that, the manufacturer would have to submit every single version of the part for testing. For example, CAI's for the tC and the xB would have to be subimtted seperately, and each be granted their own CARB EO #, even if they use nearly identical parts and are made by the same manufacturer. Because of the cost and time needed to attain a CARB EO #, and the relatively low percentage of people that it applies to, most manufacturers have stopped bothering with it. However, because California's regulations are the strictest, if a part receives a CARB EO #, then it becomes 50-state legal (as far as emissions are concerned). Pretty much every after-market part, legal or not, will say that it's "for off-road use only". That doesn't necessarily mean that it's illegal. That's just a disclaimer so that you can't sue the manufacturer for implying that it is legal.
Emissions are not the only relevant factor when considering legality. Some states require an emissions test and a visual inspection. This is a regulation that was started by CARB. Some states only require an emissions test. Some states have absolutely no testing or inspections at all, such as Nebraska, where I live now (this is me teasing you). Some parts that will not affect the emissions test may still fail a visual inspection. Intakes, either short-ram or cold-air, are a primary example of this. As noted by others, there are also noise pollution laws to consider with some parts. The specific dB rating varies from state to state, but CA is the only place I've ever heard of the police actually carrying the equipment to test this. I remember, years ago, hearing about a state where carbon fiber body panels were illegal due to their ability to splinter if hit on the edge, though I don't remember what state that was.
This all boils down to one thing: if you want to stay legal you'll have to research the laws that apply to you. They can pretty much always be found online, if you have enough time and patience.
That aside, if a cop wants to give you a ticket, you're getting a ticket. Case in point, I once received a ticket for reckless driving while sitting in line at the drive-thru at Taco Bell. The cop never even saw me move my car. I took it to court and won. The cop then pulled me over every time he saw me on the road for the next two years. And for the guy that was defending the police - that kind of horse dookie is the reason I don't like cops. Another example: there was a car show in San Diego where the police showed up and impounded every single vehicle there, including all the show cars that were brought in on trailers and weren't even registered for the street. That kind of stuff is the reason I don't regret moving away from California and Arizona.
One last thing: If you exercise your right to refuse a search of your vehicle, that will constitute probable cause. There is court precedent for this. It's happened before and the court upheld it, therefore, the police are allowed to do it whenever they want - 4th ammendment be damned.
Are you wondering whether or not my facts are correct, or how I know this? Allow me to explain: I spent 2 years running a street racing club in the Pheonix, AZ area (a CARB state) during which time I worked directly with a few manufacturers of aftermarket parts. I've received about 60 tickets covering about 200 citations, and been arrested 6 times for traffic violations. I spent 5 years and almost $20,000 getting my license back. More recently I wrote a driver training manual covering all applicable DOT laws for my job. I probably have more first-hand experience with this stuff than anyone else on SL.
07-23-2010, 02:40 AM
#82
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Covina, CA
Posts: 543
I've never got pulled over for my carbon fiber hood..but it does bring a lot of attention with CHP..I've once had a CHP officer tell me "come on its only a Toyota, all you you got is a carbon fiber hood" and i laughed ...but just have it secured properly because cops can get technical.
07-23-2010, 01:05 PM
#83
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Living in the Omaha, NE area, traveling all over the continent
Posts: 194
ive never got pulled over for my carbon fiber hood..but it does bring alot of attention with CHP..ive once had a CHP officer tell me "come on its only a toyota, all you you got is a carbon fiber hood" and i laughed ...but just have it secured properly because cops can get technical
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
