Too Many Tail Lights??

Lazy typing....

5 brake/tail/turn, Left side

5 brake/tail/turn, Right side

4 markers, Center

But I'm sure you already had a suspicion of the configuration...

I have the special weight/light exemption on my registration and I'm already a known road hazard because I've been driving so many years that I can't possibly know what I'm doing....

Just ask the next noob that backs into you or runs into a ditch near your house!

 

I get that feeling a lot around here

 

It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad...

 

what DOT regulation is that? Im curious because I used to get told that as a company driver, but I've also heard that it's not true, just wondering who was right?

 

True in CA anyway, we have had guys add lights for show,and get nailed at the scales when they are not illuminated!

 

I've never had anyone say anything about lights that were out as long as the required ones worked. I HATE lights being out and it killed me when I gave the conestoga I normally pulled (that I put 13 down each side) to an employee and he would never tell me when the were out. When I would finally see him pull in at night and he would have like 5 out on one side it annoyed the hell out of me. I guess it's just a form of OCD.

 

Of all the dot inspections i've had i've never turned on my extra lights on the truck and have never had a cop say anything about it. I know some states they will nail your for extra lights not working but othere they wont as long as the required lights work.

 

The way I always understood it was that if a light was on the outfit it had to work, even chicken lights.

 

OK, this is a hell of a good question. In fact, it is so good that I posted an answer to it. Or THOUGHT I had, but since it isn't there, frankly I don't know what happened. . .

Anyway, I spent quite a bit of time trying to find an appropriate DOT regulation for this, with no luck. So then I checked the California DMV website. What I came up with is as follows:

See:http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc24252.htm

From what I can find out here, this is the only section that actually addresses this, although there are numerous sections that individually address lighting requirements. It is my belief that if you were cited under this section, CVC 24252. (a), you would have the built in defense of this wording: All lighting equipment of a required type installed on a vehicle shall at all times be maintained in good working order.

However, that means the ticket would have to be fought in court.

I am not a lawyer, nor a chippie. But this is what I have come up with. I had also been one of those that was under the impression that under California law, "if it was there, it had to be working." Oh well, not the first time I've been wrong.

And this certainly does not mean that other states don't have it in their law.