Led Accent Lights

  • October 28, 2012 4:59 AM PDT






    The other night while riding home from work, I had my blue leds on as I normaly did (use them at night so other drivers can easly see me ). Looked in my review and saw red and blue flashing lights low and behold I was being pulled over. My first thought was that I was being pulled over for speeding (posted limit + 5 my normal). Found a safe place to get off the road. The officer ask me if I knew why I was being stopped of course I said no. He replied  for 2 reasons.
    1. That I had no rear marker/break light
    2. For the blue leds.
    Apparently I had missed that part of the law, After a call to the wife to let her know what was going on and to bring me a spare break light (that should have been on the bike)and changing the led color. The officer showed me the laws 

                                                                                         OKlahoma State law

    A. Any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle, other than headlamps, spot lamps, auxiliary driving lamps, flashing turn signals, vehicular hazard warning lamps, authorized emergency vehicle lamps, snow removal and construction and maintenance vehicle warning lamps, and school bus and church bus warning lamps, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than three hundred (300) candlepower shall be so directed that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five (75) feet from the vehicle.

    B. Except as provided in Sections 12-218, 12-218.1, 12-228, and 12-229 of this title, no person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or device thereon displaying or capable of displaying a red or blue light visible from directly in front of the center thereof.

    C. Flashing lights are prohibited except on:

    1. An authorized emergency vehicle, as provided in Section 12-218 of this title;

    2. A school bus or a church bus, as provided in Section 12-228 of this title;

    3. Any snow-removal and construction, and maintenance equipment, as provided in Section 12-229 of this title;

    4. A wrecker or tow vehicle while at the scene of an emergency or loading or unloading a vehicle in close proximity to traffic as needed for safety precautions or as a means of indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing, as provided in Section 12-218.1 of this title;

    5. Any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, as provided in Sections 12-206.1 and 12-606 of this title;

    6. Any vehicle as means of indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing, as provided in Section 12-220 of this title;

    7. Any vehicle displaying side marker lamps which flash in conjunction with turn signal lamps or vehicle hazard warning lamps, as provided in Section 12-220 of this title;

    8. A farm tractor or an implement of husbandry, as provided in Section 12-215 of this title; or

    9. Any vehicle used while performing official duties as a rural or contract route mail carrier of the United States Postal Service, as provided in Section 12-218.2 of this title.

    D. Blue lights are prohibited except as allowed in Sections 12-218, 12-218.1, and 12-229 of this title.

    E. Any person violating the provisions of subsection B, C or D of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding sixmonths, or by a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

    To sum it up if you have or are planing to put Led lights on your bike check you local laws.
    By the way the officer let me off with a warnning ticket



  • October 28, 2012 7:06 AM PDT
    many states, any red lights seen from the front of the vehicle are illegal, and most states where the the police use blue lights, blue is illegal seen from any direction...
    as GOTYA said... check your laws ...
  • October 28, 2012 11:08 AM PDT
    Texas also will pass out tickets for any led colors that are used by law enforcement or emergency vehicles.My silver bike once sported purplish blue leds, but I removed them once and never did replace with new leds.Glad you just got a warning.
    • 1 posts
    October 28, 2012 11:48 AM PDT
    thats it then...I'm not running any lights....if they can't see you they can't get you. I think I better start eating my carrots again ...
  • October 28, 2012 11:44 PM PDT
    Yeah bud... Kansas is the same way.
    • Moderator
    • 19007 posts
    October 29, 2012 12:07 AM PDT
    As are most states
    • 611 posts
    October 29, 2012 3:17 PM PDT
    My understanding is that LED lighting is for bike shows, parking lot show-offs (I've done it) and just goofing off. NOT for street use, all LED kits say "Check Local laws"...
    ME? I don't want no steenking neon on my bike mon... jmo...
    edgeman
    • Moderator
    • 19007 posts
    October 30, 2012 11:24 PM PDT
     
  • October 31, 2012 2:45 AM PDT
    I cant get a strait answer from our local cops in wisconsin, all they could tell me is they cant be blue and they cant be flashing. Not going to take the chance riding down the road at night unless I have ZERO drinks.
    • 834 posts
    October 31, 2012 2:52 AM PDT
    I believe in most states blue cannot be used anywhere, and red can only be used as a tail light/brake light.
    • 1855 posts
    October 31, 2012 6:36 AM PDT
    ultra10 wrote...
    I cant get a strait answer from our local cops in wisconsin, all they could tell me is they cant be blue and they cant be flashing. Not going to take the chance riding down the road at night unless I have ZERO drinks.