This week in stupid: Cover your lights!!!

[Bill]

I can't find an article at the moment ... guess my google-fu is on the fritz with the snow... but there is a town in Colorado (a suburb of Denver I think) where they passed a city ordinance making it primary offense (i.e. the cop can pull you over for it and nothing else) and a $100 fine for having anything hanging from the rear view mirror..

There are a handful of cities that have ordinances banning spinning hubcaps. There is a Federal ban on some of them as well. There are a lot of places that prohibit "for sale" signs on cars. I would imagine that someone could fight that on constitutional free speech grounds back when the Constitution meant something.

 

[sgtsandman]

PA has the off road lights being covered as a law as well. Enforcement seems to be hap-hazard but enforcement does happen for the reasons others have stated.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Many years ago I lived in a big city in the states.
My father-in-law gave us an automatic 260z...it was cool (used to own a 240z).
It was kinda of a spare vehicle, wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.

One morning while heading to work, I noticed our 260z parked about 10 blocks from where I left it. I called the police and waited for them to arrive. This was the first time I've ever had a vehicle stolen. I remember thinking how fortunate I was to notice it on the side of the road. Many of these vehicles get parted-out and disappear, rarely recovered.

The Police arrived and we walked over to the vehicle.
The 260z was sitting there idling, with the hood propped slightly.
We then noticed heavy guage wire running from the battery, down along the sidewalk.
The Police Officer hit the coil wire with his baton, causing the 260z to die.
We then followed the wire, witch ran along a truck and into into a trailer.
We figured they were using the vehicle to power something in the trailer.

The PO knocked on the trailer window, and identified himself.
A sleepy guy answered, and was asked about the 260z.
I still remember his response, "what 260z?".
The PO then asked about the wire running from the vehicle into his trailer.
Same reply, "what wire?".

Turns out he had a warrant for his arrest.
The PO informed him that he was going to be taken into custody. The PO then looked at me and said, "Your free to take the vehicle".
I asked, what about the theft of my vehicle?
The PO replied, "Do you know how hard it is to get a conviction".
I naively asked, what about the CSI team? The PO replied, "I hate that show".
Our conversation continued long enough to know, he regreted his career choice.

When did being a Police Officer become a thankless job?

Unless they are in the vehicle I think it is hard to convict them.

My grandparents had their spare Durango swiped. Some druggies buried their Avalanche on the end of their road that turns to dirt/mud. So they found the keys for the Durango and went on a rescue mission with a new pack of clothesline they also found on the porch.

Clothesline did not work so they just had fun with the Durango. Ran it all over down there, took out a gate and a fence with it. Cops found them hiding in brush and the Durango parked in a field entrance. Two women and a guy, guy was trying to cover up a pile of drugs.

All they got them for was the drugs. Durango took it well, they threw enough RPM's at it that it blew a power steering hose and the front got kinda messed up.

 

[Jandro2004FX4]

I can't find an article at the moment ... guess my google-fu is on the fritz with the snow... but there is a town in Colorado (a suburb of Denver I think) where they passed a city ordinance making it primary offense (i.e. the cop can pull you over for it and nothing else) and a $100 fine for having anything hanging from the rear view mirror... the city uses it as a cash cow money maker. They basically doubled down on the state ordinance for "obstructed view". I know of it for 3 reasons, A) my aunt got popped for one back in the early 80's - cost her $100... B) my sister got popped for it going to college at DU in the metro in the 90's (warning) and C) it was huge huge news back in ~2021-ish when that Chicago guy got killed in Minn. due to getting pulled over for air freshener and then resisted (cause he had warrants).

So there are states/towns where not only is it "enforced", they enforce it to the limit - I wouldn't mess with being lazy, just cover it when on-road. Whole lot easier to not give them a reason to pull you over then it is to fight your way out after they pull you over.

I got the covers. Better safe than sorry. I really appreciate everyone’s helpful comments, thanks!

 

[ZMan]

Yeah, I’m not for blinding other drivers. I guess I just got a little annoyed that my “off” switch isn’t enough lol

it isn't enough for some people. I've had to tell multiple people over the years that their lightbar was on in the daytime. I'm also astonished by the amount of semi trucks I see going down the highway with lightbars on the front, I don't know how they're not being stopped.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

it isn't enough for some people. I've had to tell multiple people over the years that their lightbar was on in the daytime. I'm also astonished by the amount of semi trucks I see going down the highway with lightbars on the front, I don't know how they're not being stopped.

It really gripes me that the stuff running off the upfitter switches on our Bronco are only key power. So we get home with the ditch lights on after running gravel and turn the car off, all the lights go off. Start it the next morning and we run around with the ditch lights on.

 

[Rick W]

It really gripes me that the stuff running off the upfitter switches on our Bronco are only key power. So we get home with the ditch lights on after running gravel and turn the car off, all the lights go off. Start it the next morning and we run around with the ditch lights on.

If you’re good at tinkering, and tinkering with the wiring, it shouldn’t be hard to add a switch with an indicator light. If you still did it off the ignition, at least you know the lights are on from the light on the switch.

You can hotwire it, but then the danger as you forget to flip the switch and your battery goes dead.

My two cents, hope it helps

 

[Curious Hound]

It really gripes me that the stuff running off the upfitter switches on our Bronco are only key power. So we get home with the ditch lights on after running gravel and turn the car off, all the lights go off. Start it the next morning and we run around with the ditch lights on.

The new upfitter switches I just put in my Ranger have 2 separate backlights in them. One thats’s on all the time and one that turns on and off with the load. It’s nice that they show me which loads are on or off. And ai like seeing the switches at night. But it’s a pain because I had to use key on power so the backlights wouldn’t drain the battery when the key is off.

 

[Snoranger]

It really gripes me that the stuff running off the upfitter switches on our Bronco are only key power. So we get home with the ditch lights on after running gravel and turn the car off, all the lights go off. Start it the next morning and we run around with the ditch lights on.

The Bronco upfitter switches use the same fuse block as the F-Series and the Ranger Tremor. I know on the F-series you can remove the input power fuse and slide the block off over to switch between constant and key on, and the Tremor you can’t. I guess the Bronco is blocked off like the Tremor.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If you’re good at tinkering, and tinkering with the wiring, it shouldn’t be hard to add a switch with an indicator light. If you still did it off the ignition, at least you know the lights are on from the light on the switch.

You can hotwire it, but then the danger as you forget to flip the switch and your battery goes dead.

My two cents, hope it helps

They light up but they are not super bright and are on the ceiling.

The Bronco upfitter switches use the same fuse block as the F-Series and the Ranger Tremor. I know on the F-series you can remove the input power fuse and slide the block off over to switch between constant and key on, and the Tremor you can’t. I guess the Bronco is blocked off like the Tremor.

Yup, they fixed that for the trucks that actually go offroad...

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Undercarriage lights for show are also illegal and are supposed to be covered when the vehicle is on the road in some states, including Virginia. I'm referring to the cars that have colored lights underneath shining on the pavement. Here those are legal only for emergency vehicles, but I have yet to see it enforced.

Likewise, some people run colored headlights and auxiliary lighting for show, which is also illegal (especially when red or blue), but that never seems to be enforced here either.

 

[Snoranger]

Undercarriage lights for show are also illegal and are supposed to be covered when the vehicle is on the road in some states, including Virginia. I'm referring to the cars that have colored lights underneath shining on the pavement. Here those are legal only for emergency vehicles, but I have yet to see it enforced.

Likewise, some people run colored headlights and auxiliary lighting for show, which is also illegal (especially when red or blue), but that never seems to be enforced here either.

I run around with my rock lights on all the time. I have them set to either amber or blue depending on what my daughter changes them to. I drove from Kentucky back to NJ with them set to blue… no one cared.

 

[Curious Hound]

I run around with my rock lights on all the time. I have them set to either amber or blue depending on what my daughter changes them to. I drove from Kentucky back to NJ with them set to blue… no one cared.

I use a 1993 Ford Ranger over top of my rock lights to cover them.

 

[Haywire6000]

In NH any lights mounted on a light bar/roll bar have to be covered when on the road. Fog lights and driving lights don't have to be covered but have to be wired correctly- fog lights can only be powered when the headlights are on low beam and driving lights get power on high beam. With the blinding lights the factories install now it's hard to worry about add on lights.

Maine is the same but they don't really enforce it.