Is It Illegal To Install Those Brighter Headlights?

[Kenji4861]

I'm thinking of installing one of those "white lights" for my headlight in the car. In California, are there laws against it? I've seen some cars with even blue lights. Can someone point me to a website that tells me what the laws are for this? Thanks!

 

[Mr N8]

Xenon is legal. At least I haven't been pulled over for them!

 

[notfred]

Section from the California Vehicle Code

And yes, bright lights are legal.

 

[Kenji4861]

Great, I guess I'll do this first thing this summer. Also, is it legal to clear your headlights? (getting rid of the yellow part)

 

[Thegonagle]

If they're over-rated (higher wattage than stock) then they're illegal.

If you remove the yellow part of the lens, then you need to put a yellow bulb in place of the white one. Laws are very specific when it comes to exterior lighting color, so don't mess with the color. Green turn signals, for example, are not OK. Clear tail lights that don't have a sufficient amount of red reflector visible are also unacceptable. Those red bulbs some people try to get away with in the tail lights always look pink-orange and are therefore ticket magnets.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Kenji4861
Great, I guess I'll do this first thing this summer. Also, is it legal to clear your headlights? (getting rid of the yellow part)

Im pretty sure down here in Florida, its legal as long as the end result is the color is supposed to be. I.E. putting in a clear cover, but using a yellow bulb....

 

[dakata24]

dont the newer lexus have clear corners with colored bulbs?

 

[Thegonagle]

Brake/tail lights always have a red reflector and lens. Whether that red lens is covered in clear plastic is up to the manufacturer, but the red lens is always present. Turn signals are allowed to have a clear lens and a yellow bulb, or a yellow lens. In the US (and Canada?), red turn signal lenses are allowed in the rear. There are no legitimate (DOT/ECE approved) red colored bulbs available in any auto store.

 

[flavio]

The blue lights are annoying and probably a traffic hazard

 

[NutBucket]

When my friend worked for Santa Monica PD, he asked about the color of the bulbs b4 he started replacing stuff on his Integra. It seems that only the rear turn signals have to be red/orange. Fronts can be anything. So that means my hyper-white front flashers w/ clear lenses are just fine.
There are many Xenon bulbs commercially available through Autozone and the like that are the same wattage as stock but provide the "whiteness" many, myself included like. These are made by Sylvania/Philips and are perfectly legal/DOT approved.

 

[LaBang]

They should be illegal IMO. maybe i'll give Ralph Nader a call about this

 

[Ns1]

i had a HID SYSTEM installed into my prelude

AFAIK, it meets dot/ntsb requirements

HOWEVER, they're still illegal according to California regulations because they were not meant to be on that car....

if you're referring to PIAA superbrights's and stuff, AFAIK those are legal, unless they have some absurd amount of blue tint in them (ricer style)

 

[murphy55d]

What do Xenon lights do anyway?

 

[Thegonagle]

You better do a search on the laws for your state, and any state you will be driving in, before you put purple blinkers on the front of your ride.

 

[AkumaX]

any modification to your car is illegal

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: murphy55d
What do Xenon lights do anyway?

There are 3 main effects that I can think of:
1) They make the car look different. Some people are willing to give an arm and a leg for a different looking car. I have no idea why they think it looks better, but I guess it is the same as different people liking different haircuts.
2) People claim the lights won't stun deer - although I've have yet to see any scientific data that show that it has any effects. If anyone has some, let me know.
3) It blinds the drivers coming at you - even more blind than normal - making you much harder to avoid. I can only assume it raises your chances of headon collisions at night (but I have no proof either). I suppose the counter arguement is that it makes you more easily seen (although I've yet to know of a car with functioning headlights that can't be seen when Xenon lights can be).

 

[abaez]

If you install them make sure they are angled downwards not upwards to shine right into the rearview of the car in front of you, that is happening more and more often. People have no clue how to align their headlights.

 

[kduncan5]

I think installing brighter headlights just to be different is very uncool. There are plenty of other ways to be "different" than becoming an irritant to other drivers at night. Being blinded by an oncoming car at night is NOT my idea of safe. When someone's headlights are WAY too bright for me, I'll flash my brights at them, hopefully to alert them to the fact that they need to adjust the angle and/or height of their headlights.......unless they're too stupid to take a hint.

Being blinded by an oncoming car can be dangerous, if not fatal. -kd5-