BTW how much the ticket?

 

I had a cop pull me over because my lights were too bright, I had no custom lights and nothing changed except I had cleared out my turn signals. I honestly think that they sometimes just screw with people.

 

It is toward the end of the month, they gotta make those quotas and collect that illegal taxation they call tickets.

 

$101 ticket. A State Patrol in an undercover charger. It was 8:45 at night when he pulled me over.

I'm undecided if I want to bother fighting it. Last time I challenged a speeding ticket the judge didn't even want to hear my side of the story. He knocked $30 dollars off and sent me on my way. I'll most likely just pay it. I have some standard bulbs to put back in and I'll save these for another day.

It just sucks after 6 months and passing dozens of cops in a bunch of different citiies that it ends with a ticket. Oh wells.

 

Oh yeah seen that one its a dark grey right? W/ dark tinted windows? See it all the time by the casino...

 

Go to court, prove you've changed the bulbs and you may get something knocked off, claim ignorance(you didn't know they were illegal and as far as you or anyone else is concerned they were legal) and you may get it drasticly reduced, can't hurt.

 

+1

That's probably your best bet.

 

^+2

 

thats lame i have had my yellow bulbs in because they match my car for months..i've followed countless cops and had i dont know how many go right by me stare at my twotoned xB and drive away...horrible luck... *knock on wood**

 

OK, Let's start with the RCW. The officer quoted 46.37.040, which says in part:
Elsewhere in this RCW chapter is 46.37.010:

Also, in 46.37.005:

So, over in the adopted rules, we see all sorts of things, including WAC 204-90-140, which says in part:

...which rolls the federal rules into the mix, and says that they must be followed. When that happens, things get a lot more interesting and detailed. Even the SAE J578 standard is included.

Here's the short form:




If you want to read more gnarly details than are included in just pages 362 and 363 of that, here's the entire thing - http://tijil.org/cfr49.571.108.pdf - which includes details on color, size, exact positioning, model years, etc.

I don't have SAE J578 or SAE J566 handy, but trust me, they also specify, in even greater detail, just what is legit - including that the headlights be white (unless the car is older than any Scion). Common acceptance of the term "white light" includes, of course, mid-day skylight on a clear, blue sky day, which is ~6500K...

So, to reduce all this (and much more - even including "How did I find all these connected sections?") to one simple answer: Headlights on Scions must be "white," and DOT approved. Sorry!

Hope that helps,
Tom

P.S. Aren't you sorry you asked, Zinker?

T

P.P.S. I come to colorimetry from a photographic, photo interpretation (military), and television studio background. When someone says that a light source is a specific color temperature, that's really not quite true or accurate - there's a lot more to it than that. Basically a "black body" heated to 6500K is the classic "blue-white" light in the shade on a blue-sky day (not the color in direct sunlight on that day, which is closer to 5000K).

Here are a couple of links to simple explanations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature

T

P.P.P.S. I think I've been through this now for California, Texas, New York, and Washington. I can't believe I let myself get sucked into yet another "What color lights can I use for _____?" or "My state is different, and we don't have to follow the Federal Rules." or "I've had [odd color lights | no reflectors | something weird] for [x_time] and never been stopped for it."

Let me say it again. (1) All states like to get federal funds for their highways. (2) To get those federal funds, the feds require that the state at least follows the federal MV safety rules. (3) To do this, the states bury somewhere in their own laws/code/rules/regulations a reference that says the fed standards must be met. (4) Not getting stopped for breaking those rules means you are lucky, the cops don't know the laws, or the cops don't care. (5) Getting stopped for breaking those rules means you are unlucky, you found a cop who knows that part of the law, or you found a cop who cares. (6) In any case, if you break the rules, you are asking for it...

T

P.P.P.P.S. There really is a post length limit here, so I'll stop now.

T

 

good lord thanks I'll keep that in mind lol

 

 

Yea hes by the casino all the time. He even camps out by the new costco entrance and radars in town. Seen him there a few times...

 

Hey Joe, sorry to hear bout your ticket, that sucks!

 

if i read correctly, the turn signals can be red or amber, I wonder if the red signals would show well in the daytime?

 

Yes, rear turn signals can be red as long as they are at least four inches away from the tail lights/brake lights (edge to edge)...

Tom

 

oh, nevermind. Tomas, ya saved me a ticket! lol

 

Holy crap.

 

huh?

 

far as i know yellow color head light is illegal for street use.. they are more for off road and snow condition area..
light purple, bright blue, and bright white is legal... depending on state..
i was told that yellow light makes driver tend to stare into the light while they are driving... so it is more hazardous..

far as your fine goes.. if u bring a reciept showing u have purcahsed new light bulds for your car.. judge will either waive the fine or reduce it..