Police Officer's response to my Neon UnderBody Legality.

[tylerpresley]

Our local police department had a website where you can ask a police officer a question. I thought some of you may find this e-mail conversation interesting. The e-mails go from the most recent at the top. First is my reply to his initial response about what colors underbody lights are legal :

Officer G, thanks for your prompt reply. I read the statute in detail but I see nothing in the statute you sent me that could be construed as forbidding under car lighting.

Section A appears to deal only with motorcycles.
Section B only says a vehicle is required to have two headlights and two taillights
Section C indicates the requirement of a light to illuminate the rear licence plate.
Section D says that head lamps must satisfy DOT regulations and emit white, yellow, amber or HID type light.
Section E deals with custom street rods and custom vehicles and merely says such a vehicle would be in compliance with the vehicle lamp requirements if it has passed an approved safety inspection.

What section of this statue are you interpreting as forbidding undercar lighting of any color?

Perhaps I am not interpreting the statue correctly, but I do have a law degree and see nothing in any part of this statue forbidding under car lighting of any color.

I am asking because perhaps this statue is too vague and would not stand up to a court challenge if interpreted by the law to forbid undercar lighting.

Both law enforcement and law abiding citizens deserve to have laws on the books that are clear as to what is legal and what is not.

If there is another applicable statue, please do forward it to me.

Thanks very much for your assistance.

Tyler



-----Original Message-----
From: Officer G
Subject: Re: What colors are legal for neon underbody light kits for
cars?


Hi Tyler, sorry but no lighting of that kind is permitted while the vehicle is
moving. Below is the state statute as it reads. Some agencies tend to 'look
the other way' but not all agencies. When the vehicle is not moving they are
perfectly legal.
Good luck, Ofc. "G"

----- Original Message
VEHICLES
(625 ILCS 5/) Illinois Vehicle Code.


(625 ILCS 5/Ch. 12 Art. II heading)
ARTICLE II. LIGHTS AND LAMPS


(625 ILCS 5/12-201) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-201)
Sec. 12-201. When lighted lamps are required.
(a) When operated upon any highway in this State, every motorcycle
shall at all times exhibit at least one lighted lamp, showing a white light
visible for at least 500 feet in the direction the motorcycle is proceeding.
However, in lieu of such lighted lamp, a motorcycle may be equipped with and
use a means of modulating the upper beam of the head lamp between high and a
lower brightness. No such head lamp shall be modulated, except to otherwise
comply with this Code, during times when lighted lamps are required for
other motor vehicles.
(b) All other motor vehicles shall exhibit at least 2 lighted head
lamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, which
satisfy United States Department of Transportation requirements, showing
white lights, including that emitted by high intensity discharge (HID)
lamps, or lights of a yellow or amber tint, during the period from sunset to
sunrise, at times when rain, snow, fog, or other atmospheric conditions
require the use of windshield wipers, and at any other times when, due to
insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons and
vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 1000
feet. Parking lamps may be used in addition to but not in lieu of such head
lamps. Every motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer shall also exhibit at
least 2 lighted lamps, commonly known as tail lamps, which shall be mounted
on the left rear and right rear of the vehicle so as to throw a red light
visible for at least 500 feet in the reverse direction, except that a truck
tractor or road tractor manufactured before January 1, 1968 and all
motorcycles need be equipped with only one such tail lamp.
(c) Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed
and placed as to illuminate with a white light a rear registration plate
when required and render it clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet to
the rear. Any tail lamp or tail lamps, together with any separate lamp or
lamps for illuminating a rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be
lighted whenever the head lamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
(d) A person shall install only head lamps that satisfy United
States Department of Transportation regulations and show white light,
including that emitted by HID lamps, or light of a yellow or amber tint for
use by a motor vehicle.
(e) For purposes of this Section, a custom vehicle or street rod
is considered to be in compliance with all vehicle lamp requirements if it
has passed the approved safety inspection provided for in Section 3-804.1 or
3-804.2.
(Source: P.A. 91-130, eff. 1-1-00; 91-135, eff. 1-1-00; 92-16, eff.
6-28-01; 92-668, eff. 1-1-03.)

-----

From: Tyler
To: Officer G
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 10:30 AM
Subject: What colors are legal for neon underbody light kits for cars?


> Good day Officer G. I have a nice customized import hatchback in the
"Fast
> and Furious" style. It only LOOKS fast. I don't speed. :-)
>
> I was thinking of adding a neon underbody light kit, and I was wondering
> what colors are legal and what colors are not legal. My research on the
> internet indicated that most police departments forbid only red or blue
> lights, since they are supposed to only be on emergency vehicles but that
> any other colors are O.K.
>
> However since apparently each police department is different in how they
> actually enforce the rules, would you please enlighten me as to what
colors
> besides red and blue I could use and still not get pulled over by the
> police. Typically the other colors available are green, purple, yellow,
> aqua, and white.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Tyler
:evil:

[jerkitt]

so it's ok to flick them on if you're sitting at a light? :ermm:

[moosie420]

run them to the brakes.... lol..... that'd be awesome.

[jerkitt]

i've had that idea for a long time

i'm planning on actually running my red fogs under the car in the rear, and running them off of my brakes 8D

[Mad-Machine]

if you have front fogs.. you can run nthem with them... a lot of eiropean countries have "rear fog lights" as mandatory.

[Freak7882]

Most of the laws regarding extranious lights can be found at the state level... MA (by masslaw.com) is no aftermarket lights on when on the road...

[Arctic Chill]

Freak, where in MA are yas?

And yeah, I think you're right about that...but I wouldn't know because I've never riced up my car with undercarriage neons.

Why not just get a clean car? You have a law degree...you know speeding is bad, but why would you ever need to have undercarriage lights? Or did you BS that part about having a law degree? uzzled:

[TAK82]

Originally posted by Mad-Machine
[body]
if you have front fogs.. you can run nthem with them... a lot of eiropean countries have "rear fog lights" as mandatory.
[/body]

you mean like the pontiac grand am?

[mouse]

In most states, MOST, underbody lights are legal. You just cannot have red, green or blue. And they cannot flash, must be steady. They can also not cause a glare to other drivers, so using it in icy/rainy conditions is not advised. The no red, green, or blue rule applies to all aftermarket car lighting, with the exception of added brake lights (ok to have red.)

[Clean2k1Shark]

why not green? everyone has green