Roof Rack Lights - Legal or Not?

[rickc]

I researched this thoroughly! As stated, the law is different in every state and province. I went to my British Columbia government website and downloaded the vehicle regulations lighting section. There is a host of other good stuff there too.

In BC, you are allowed to add extra driving lights down at headlamp level and there are rules about setting the beam patterns. I have a pair of PIAA twin fog/driving lamps on my brush guard with no covers.

Up top it is very different. You can have as many offroad lamps as you want but they must be covered while on the highway. In BC "highway" is now debateable as there are some new, confusing regs that include some classes of logging roads as "highways". I need to research this more.

For reversing, I am only supposed to have two, white lamps. As these come stock in every vehicle I guess technically, I should disconnect my stock bulbs as I have two roof rack mounted reversing lamps.

I've seen some new Jeeps that have a factory light bar fitted driving around without the covers on. Illegal in BC!

I keep a copy of the lighting regs in my truck just in case I meet a cop that thinks he knows better.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I keep a copy of the lighting regs in my truck just in case I meet a cop that thinks he knows better.

Let me know how that works out for you. Debating with cops roadside, even if you have copy of the law... usually doesn't help the situation. Best to just take the ticket, then fight it in court.

 

[madizell]

Let me know how that works out for you. Debating with cops roadside, even if you have copy of the law... usually doesn't help the situation. Best to just take the ticket, then fight it in court.

Agreed, both from the perspective of 42 years of driving on US roads and 17 years of background working with the law for a living. Police officers generally are not versed in "the law". They may know which regulation to cite to write a viable citation, but would not be able to quote it, and even if they could, would not be able or want to debate the nuances. It is not the law generally which makes or breaks a case, but the facts attendant. Document your facts, and debate the law in court. You can always be nice with the officer, and perhaps he won't cite you, but don't bank on it.

As for the problems of disparate laws while driving state to state, all states I know of honor reciprocity. So, if your vehicle is legal in its state of origin, it will be legal in another state. However, just as you probably don't know all the vehicle codes in each state you travel through, cops don't know other states' codes either, so just saying your vehicle is legal in some other state probably won't make much difference to an out of state cop. Again, you will have to document your facts and present your case to a court, which should then honor the reciprocity of the brother state. Just be sure you are right.

 

[ChrisInVT]

I don't get harassed here in VT for my overabundance of lighting.