OD lighting requirements?

I’ll just tell the dot officer, or any cop for that reason...i’m not scared, go write your ticket buddy. My goodness scared of wimpy lil ticket. You’ll spend more money at the Peetro tonight then the tickets gonna cost you.

Oh but Pete he’ll put it on your inspection report. The CSA/PSP points will put you out of house & home. Omg, yup. A few points every couple years never hurt anyone, heck they even fade away after a while.

Seriously tho, don’t fear cops, and the side of the road is not the place to argue with them...Let them write that ticket, then you can show up in court and argue your case.

 

Of course it's best to keep stuff working but anything can go out at any point and if a cop tries to write me a violation or ticket for something where he is wrong you're darn right I'm going to tell him, and I'll be able to back it up from the green Bible.

 

It isnt about being scared of the cop or the ticket. Its about avoiding the problem altogether by keeping your equipment up to snuff in the first place. Then none of that other stuff matters. And another poster pointed out that lights can go out at any time, and thats true, you have to be pretty dim to run around with broke equipment just because you think you dont need it. You will always spend more on a ticket, or on fighting one than you'd spend on a light bulb or splicing a wire.

 

(e) Lamps to be steady-burning. All exterior lamps (both required lamps and any additional lamps) shall be steady-burning with the exception of turn signal lamps; hazard warning signal lamps; school bus warning lamps; amber warning lamps or flashing warning lamps on tow trucks and commercial motor vehicles transporting oversized loads;


I sure havent found the code you all keep talking about that says you dont have to keep things working. But this shows plainly that "all exterior lights (BOTH REQUIRED LAMPS AND ANY ADDITIONAL LAMPS) must be steady burning". The exceptions only state what lights dont have to be steady burning. It doesnt say they dont have to work at all. If one of you have more than the rumor that "they changed that a few years ago" I'd sure like to see it.

 

I found that myself. Not cut and dry at all. That is NOT a written regulation. That is someones opinion. Where is the reg that supports that opinion. I havent seen it. But I have seen the one I posted earlier.

 

That’s not “someone’s opinion” that’s official guidance from the FMCSA. Here’s the reg to back it up.
393.9 Lamps operable, prohibition of obstructions of lamps and reflectors.
(a) All lamps required by this subpart shall be capable of being operated at all times. This paragraph shall not be construed to require that any auxiliary or additional lamp be capable of operating at all times.[\b]

 

Context matters. In thart reg toy word the context is how the lights are designed not anout them divining at any given moment. Yiu can't put 15 two inch lights in your bumper that are hooked up through a flasher. Think of Christmas tree lights, they can burn steady, or they can blink.

As far as the reg you insist doesn't exist, open up your green book and flip to the lighting section. 393.9.