Stopped by Sheriff Deputy

[Bogie]

This morning on my ride into work I was pulled over by a Deputy for having too many headlights.
I told him other than the two LED light strips (on the A frame arms) the rest were factory installed.
Legal limit is 4, not sure if he considered the fender tip lights as running light or head lights.
He said because they were "factory installed" there was nothing he could do. So he said have a nice day!
He said they have stopped people with new Jeep Grand Cherokees for the same reason.


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[Chupaca]

maybe he wanted a closer look... If they are not all on should not be a problem though I have never heard this one before. I have 8 if you count the fender lights 6 otherwise...

[bruiser]

Did you have your fog lights on? I run with my fogs on all the time here. Also have the LEDs on the A arms. He'd have a full day here if he stopped everybody for too many headlights.

[DrewNJ]

That guy is an idiot. The fender lights are marker lights, not headlights and its a shame that clown didn't have anything better to do. Almost all vehicles have marker lights at the front and rear corners of the vehicle and some vehicles have multiple.
My Audi has OEM LEDs around the headlights. I bet there are a dozen around each light.....
It really is a shame that many law enforcement communities have turned into big business harassment facilities.....

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[bruiser]

Drew, I have to disagree. The deputy was doing what he thought was right by state law. He didn't issue a ticket even though he could have and left it up to a judge to decide. I think he did the right thing.

[DrewNJ]

Drew, I have to disagree. The deputy was doing what he thought was right by state law. He didn't issue a ticket even though he could have and left it up to a judge to decide. I think he did the right thing.

understood, however, something about hard earned tax dollars being paid to a guy to sit on the side of the road with nothing else better to do than counting the headlights on the vehicles passing....just irks me...[emoji57]
especially a guy minding his own business and just trying to get to work on time. Its a shame when "state law" trumps "common sense"

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[Bob Denman]

Jim's point is valid... The Deputy is paid to enforce the laws.
Bad laws need to be changed; they can't be ignored!

[DrewNJ]

Jim's point is valid... The Deputy is paid to enforce the laws.
Bad laws need to be changed; they can't be ignored!

I guess I'm just old school and remember a time when law enforcement professionals used common sense, instead of being the robot law enforcement drones that we know today.

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[Bob Denman]

I feel the same way... They used to throw the Drunk drivers in their squad cars, and give them a ride home...
That time; has come and gone...

[Dan McNally]

I had this issue during my last state safety inspection. The inspector said there could only be four front lights and he saw six . . . he went to his computer and looked at the WV Code . . . when he saw the term "head lamp" he decided to interpret it as the headlights, only, and ignore the other lamps . . . but warned me that I might get a ticket. Given that our county sheriff's office is riding a couple RTs, I'm probably good . . . at least near home!

[jerpinoy]

A good law officer will usually gives you a warning especially if are nice too.

[Bob Denman]

Maybe we shouldn't go there...
This was about an encounter with a Deputy, and an issue concerning how the law was being interpreted; let's leave it at that...
Thanks!

[Bogie]

Yes I did have my fog lights on this morning because of fog.


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[M109Dreamer]

There is always the old addage.....The letter of the law & The spirit of the law. Cop did yhe right thing IMO. Crap we still have laws on the books in AZ that are rediculous that still havent been changed. Ie.... its against the law here to shoot a camel....really

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[Bob Denman]

Well; it DOES make the camels feel safer...

Woo-Hoo.jpg

[Tango]

I feel the same way... They used to throw the Drunk drivers in their squad cars, and give them a ride home...
That time; has come and gone...

I did that once. Never again! Tom

[Elembytes]

This morning on my ride into work I was pulled over by a Deputy for having too many headlights.
I told him other than the two LED light strips (on the A frame arms) the rest were factory installed.
Legal limit is 4, not sure if he considered the fender tip lights as running light or head lights.
He said because they were "factory installed" there was nothing he could do. So he said have a nice day!
He said they have stopped people with new Jeep Grand Cherokees for the same reason.


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Must have been one SLOW day in the Sheriff's Office...GOOD GRIEF! My wife got pulled over one morning in her Honda Civic for a headlight burned out....she had a replacement in her hand when he walked up to her car. The bozo turned his lights and siren on to pull her over at 6:30 a.m. Can you say OVER KILL? WOW

[Bob Denman]

Well; is it that tough of a job to replace it?
She had the part; maybe just no time??
The LEO gets paid to enforce the laws; would you rather that they not?

[billybovine]

It looks like you're legal. Color does not count. You cannot have more than 4 lights projecting a beam forward with a candlepower greater than 300 each. Your headlights and foglights would total up to 4 but the other lights are not bright enough to count.

The 300 candlepower limit appears to be the common standard across many states.


MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE (EXCERPT)
Act 300 of 1949

257.685 Head lamps; number; modulator; height; auxiliary, spot, or other lamp; exemption.Sec. 685.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), a motor vehicle shall be equipped with at least 2 head lamps with at least 1 head lamp on each side of the front of the motor vehicle, in compliance with this chapter. An implement of husbandry manufactured on or after January 1, 2007 shall comply with section 684a.
(2) A motorcycle or moped shall be equipped with at least 1 and not more than 2 head lamps that comply with this chapter.
(3) A motorcycle or moped head lamp may be wired or equipped to allow either its upper beam or its lower beam, but not both, to modulate from a higher intensity to a lower intensity. A head lamp modulator installed on a motorcycle or moped with 2 head lamps shall be wired in a manner to prevent the head lamps from modulating at different rates or not in synchronization with each other. A head lamp modulator installed on a motorcycle or moped shall meet the standards prescribed in 49 CFR 571.108.
(4) Every head lamp upon a motor vehicle shall be located at a height measured from the center of the head lamp of not more than 54 inches nor less than 24 inches above the level surface upon which the vehicle stands.
(5) When a motor vehicle equipped with head lamps as required in this section is also equipped with auxiliary lamps or a spot lamp or any other lamp on the front of the motor vehicle projecting a beam of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, not more than a total of 4 of those lamps on the front of a vehicle shall be lighted at a time when upon a highway.
(6) A motor vehicle licensed as an historic vehicle is exempt from the requirements of this section if the vehicle as originally equipped failed to meet these requirements. An historic vehicle shall not be operated in violation of section 684.

History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1957, Act 22, Imd. Eff. Apr. 19, 1957 ;-- Am. 1976, Act 439, Imd. Eff. Jan. 13, 1977 ;-- Am. 1978, Act 55, Imd. Eff. Mar. 10, 1978 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 14, Imd. Eff. Feb. 9, 2006 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 453, Imd. Eff. Dec. 14, 2006

© 2009 Legislative Council, State of Michigan

[DR Buck]

Define headlight. Not counting fender marker lights I have 6 factory lights on the front of my RT Ltd. 2 Fog lights (that I always have on), to LED clusters, one next to each headlight, and 2 headlights.

[Vidman]

Back "In the day" lights were from federal law requirements. It has always been 4 headlights on cars. In the day of 4 lights on with high beam the fog lights had to be off when high beams were on. Today the hi/low beams are usually the same light. The fog lights were suppose to turn off when high beam lights come on. This is because of candlelight power. I am not an engineer and do not know that rating. Also, side lights are exactly that....yellow on front side and red on rear side.

Now in reality....I ride with high beams on all the time during the day. Fog lights and low beam at night for on-coming traffic.

Maybe something has changed since i retired 11 yrs ago.

Now, how can you denigrate an officer for doing his/her job? AND it was stated that common sense should be used. I think in this case he/she did that. No ticket issued. Or did I miss something.

These laws were made so we are not blinded by oncoming traffic. If left to the individual can you imagine the lighting options that would be taken? How about the off road trucks with the spot lights above the cab of the truck. Ever been blinded by those? I have.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Drew, I have to disagree. The deputy was doing what he thought was right by state law. He didn't issue a ticket even though he could have and left it up to a judge to decide. I think he did the right thing.

I'm an X-LEO of 35 + years and back in the day that Deputy would be known in the barracks as a P*SSY................Any one can administer the Law from a book , even a Monkey , but it's the real Cops who know how to APPLY IT .....AND WHEN....AND TO WHOM...........case closed .......Mikeguyver

[Bob Denman]

Now, how can you denigrate an officer for doing his/her job? AND it was stated that common sense should be used. I think in this case he/she did that. No ticket issued. Or did I miss something.

Thank you...

[wyliec]

Back "In the day" lights were from federal law requirements. It has always been 4 headlights on cars. In the day of 4 lights on with high beam the fog lights had to be off when high beams were on. Today the hi/low beams are usually the same light. The fog lights were suppose to turn off when high beam lights come on. This is because of candlelight power. I am not an engineer and do not know that rating. Also, side lights are exactly that....yellow on front side and red on rear side.

Now in reality....I ride with high beams on all the time during the day. Fog lights and low beam at night for on-coming traffic.

Maybe something has changed since i retired 11 yrs ago.

Now, how can you denigrate an officer for doing his/her job? AND it was stated that common sense should be used. I think in this case he/she did that. No ticket issued. Or did I miss something.

These laws were made so we are not blinded by oncoming traffic. If left to the individual can you imagine the lighting options that would be taken? How about the off road trucks with the spot lights above the cab of the truck. Ever been blinded by those? I have.

I agree with what you say. But, don't forget you're on spyderlovers where someone has to complain about something, otherwise the day wouldn't be complete.

[Dan_Ashley]

I guess I'm just old school and remember a time when law enforcement professionals used common sense, instead of being the robot law enforcement drones that we know today.

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I think it is common sense for a cop to stop a possible traffic violator. It is also common sense for the cop to realize he made a mistake and then not do anything. It is not the responsibility of a cop to know the design features of every single vehicle manufactured. That is why it was appropriate for the OP to tell the cop that the lights were OEM equipment. Maybe from this, the cop will learn a little bit about Spyders.