Stopped last night

[gorchris1]

last nights stop.

Joe, the officer wasnt nice and let me go. In order to write up a ticket, he has to include the law being broken on the ticket. If he doesnt know the statute, thats going go be a tough one to write up. He also included and i quote " i could be an a$$@#€= if i wanted to and have the bike impounded". A real nice statement to make if you ask me.
Like i said, the trooper i spoke to today said it isnt against the law here. He found no statute. My lights dont strobe, flash, or even visible from the front. Now i have to remove my lights because there are those who dont know the law on this subject.:dontknow:

 

[reverendg]

It would be impossible for a police officer to know every law, seems like the officer who stopped you, knew the intent of the law and was nice enough to give you fair warning that you are inviting trouble by using blue lights.

Cruzr Joe

And yet, those officers will tell you that "ignorance of the law is no excuse".

 

[SpyderAnn01]

Just got a call back from NHP. The only mention of blue lights was for the motorcycle tail lights. He said if I didn't want to be harassed by the police, it's just better to change the color. You might have to go to court and yes it probably will get thrown out if you get a ticket but is it worth the hassle?
What a crummy answer. Aren't the police supposed to know the law in the first place? I own a blue RT. The under mount blue lighting was perfect in my opinion. Shame on me for trying to show off the bike even more.

Are you in Las Vegas or northern NV? I've got the TricLED American Flag light on the back of my Spyder and I asked a Metro Cop he thought I'd get a ticket for it. He said he didn't think I'd have a problem unless the cop was a jerk.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Like i said, the trooper i spoke to today said it isnt against the law here. He found no statute. My lights dont strobe, flash, or even visible from the front. Now i have to remove my lights because there are those who dont know the law on this subject.:dontknow:

Check post #8 after someone up from me posted I did a google and found the law quite easily.

 

[gnirtsnod]

He also included and i quote " i could be an a$$@#€= if i wanted to and have the bike impounded".

Sounds like he was!

 

[TuckMiddle]

GA passed the blue light law 8 or 10 years ago

In GA, no blue lights anywhere. I had a nice 1999 HD Dyna Super Sport with the blue dots in the red brake lights. The first week of the new law. I got stopped and the gentleman was pretty excited to get his first criminal for anything blue. I recognized him from active duty and when I took my helmet off, we had a great reunion on the side of the road. No ticket, but I took em off that day and still have em in case the law changes. They actually looked pretty darn nice on my all black bike. I think the blue light law was a result of the then new headlights, some of which are really blue and blinding.
:cheers:
Tuck

 

[Dan_Ashley]

In California the CHP told me that they are VERY aggressive about red and blue lights. It seems a few years back some guy was faking a police car with red and blue lights, pulling girls over, then raping them. Now, as I was told, the CHP I pounds cars and motorcycles with blue lights or red front facing lights.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

In California the CHP told me that they are VERY aggressive about red and blue lights. It seems a few years back some guy was faking a police car with red and blue lights, pulling girls over, then raping them. Now, as I was told, the CHP I pounds cars and motorcycles with blue lights or red front facing lights.

That is exactly why the police in Arkansas are hard on folks that illegally use emergency lights, and I support them for doing so.

Cruzr Joe

 

[Flamewinger]

I've had blue/red lights on the inside of the rotor cover of the front wheel on my Goldwing for years with no problems. In California you can have any color as long as it's not visible from the front or back and recessed within the body. (this means Glo Riders are a no-no unless white, amber(front) or red(rear).

 

[tobor9]

I'll keep my Green under body lights,they are OK everywhere!

 

[arntufun]

I'll keep my Green under body lights,they are OK everywhere!

I think green is for EMT's responding from thier personal vehicle (at least in NY).

 

[Bob Denman]

I think, that you're correct... :thumbup:

 

[bruiser]

Question: Is there a legal difference between, "Forward Facing", and, "Visible from the front"?
After all; GloRyders face out to the sides...
...but you can see them from the front also! :dontknow: :shocked:

Yes. Forward facing means just that.

I got stopped back in 1985 in the Peoples Republic of Maryland. I had a red light on the dash of my car. Note that it was not in use, just sitting there. I was a volunteer firefighter/emt and had a license plate on the front of the car stating so. I crossed the state line from Delaware in to said state on I95. About three miles in I saw a trooper sitting in the median. I saw him pull out when I passed. He followed behind me, I in the right lane, he in the left. After about 1.5 miles he pulled in behind me and lit me up. I pulled over. He walked up to the window and asked if I knew why he pulled me over. I said no, but I'm hoping you'll tell me why. He said I had an illegal light on the dash. I mentioned that I was a volunteer firefighter/emt in North Carolina and that the light was not plugged in or in use. He asked if I was being a smart ass, I said no sir, just an explanation. Oh, I had my Maryland DL because I was still active duty. When he saw that he told me my license was no good because I had NC plates and it didn't make any difference if I was active duty. He told me not to move, keep my daughter quiet, she was crying, and he would be back. After about twenty minutes, he came back and gave me a written warning for the light and made me take it off the dash. Then gave me another warning for the DL and said he didn't care if I was the state fire marshal, I wasn't going to show a red light in his state and I needed to get the correct DL. He also said he would put all this on record and I would be arrested the next time.

I gave the warnings to my cousin who was a county cop in Maryland. He told me the trooper was right about the light, even if it wasn't in use. But was dead wrong about the DL. He passed on that warning to his boss who in turn passed it on to the State Police. I received an apology from the 1Sgt of the state police about the DL warning. In 1990 I was back in the PRM with my pickup. It had a light bar on the roof. Was never bothered, even when I stopped at the scene of a bad accident to render aid and had the lights on.

As far as the GloRyders, I haven't been stopped. And I've had NC troopers, deputies, and city cops beside me at night and none have ever said anything.

 

[bruiser]

Green is medical. There was a blue light bandit around here a few months ago. He was robbing people. As far as I know, he hasn't been caught but I haven't seen anything in the news about him lately. They did catch one about two years ago. He was a LEO reject. He made the mistake of pulling over an undercover deputy. He's still in jail.

 

[Bob Denman]

Thanks! :thumbup:

 

[ValCruzSpyder]

Along those same lines...

For the ryders in Virginia, has anyone ever been told to remove the LEDs prior to a State Inspection? I had the Spyder inspected on one of our local bases, and was informed by a snot-nosed kid of an inspector that if I wanted to continue to have my "ride" inspected on base, I had to remove the LEDs prior. Perplexed, I asked if this was a local ordnance or just something for military installation. He responded "Well, I was told by....." I stopped him in mid-sentence and asked to see it in writing. Mind you, I was not trying to ruffle the feathers of this young man. It's just that, having spent 24 years in the military, I've come to totally resent the "someone told me" statement. Neither he nor the Lead Inspector could actually show me this violation in any of their publications or online searches. My "ride" was inspected and off I went. The next day, I returned driving my wife's Audi. If any of you have ever seen the headlight setup on the A7, you will know they are outlined in LEDs. Not wanting to cause a scene, I asked the Lead Inspector to take a look at my Audi. I apologized for any perceived hostilities from the day before and politely requested that if he should come across the instruction/ordnance/regulation addressing LEDs on motorcycles, to give me call. We swapped business cards, and off I went. My question is still the same...has anyone ever been told to remove the LEDs prior to a State Inspection?:dontknow:

 

[DrAwkward]

Illegal in Mass.

Having Blue or Red lights facing forward without a permit issued by the Chief of Police in your town is illegal in Mass. to prevent confusion with police and fire vehicle It is a statute punishable by $50 fine.
Doc

I got pulled over last night for having blue lighting under my spyder. The police officer said he was only giving me a warning. When I asked him for the statute, he couldn't give me one. He only kept repeating that blue and red lights are for emergency vehicles. I looked before for a statute and couldn't find one. I looked again last night and still no luck. I called DMV first thing this morning along with the local police dept. No one can give me a straight answer only that it's not allowed. Has anyone run into this before? I want to abide by the law as long as it really is the law and not misinterpretation by the officer.

 

[arntufun]

Yes. Forward facing means just that.

I got stopped back in 1985 in the Peoples Republic of Maryland. I had a red light on the dash of my car. Note that it was not in use, just sitting there. I was a volunteer firefighter/emt and had a license plate on the front of the car stating so. I crossed the state line from Delaware in to said state on I95. About three miles in I saw a trooper sitting in the median. I saw him pull out when I passed. He followed behind me, I in the right lane, he in the left. After about 1.5 miles he pulled in behind me and lit me up. I pulled over. He walked up to the window and asked if I knew why he pulled me over. I said no, but I'm hoping you'll tell me why. He said I had an illegal light on the dash. I mentioned that I was a volunteer firefighter/emt in North Carolina and that the light was not plugged in or in use. He asked if I was being a smart ass, I said no sir, just an explanation. Oh, I had my Maryland DL because I was still active duty. When he saw that he told me my license was no good because I had NC plates and it didn't make any difference if I was active duty. He told me not to move, keep my daughter quiet, she was crying, and he would be back. After about twenty minutes, he came back and gave me a written warning for the light and made me take it off the dash. Then gave me another warning for the DL and said he didn't care if I was the state fire marshal, I wasn't going to show a red light in his state and I needed to get the correct DL. He also said he would put all this on record and I would be arrested the next time.

I gave the warnings to my cousin who was a county cop in Maryland. He told me the trooper was right about the light, even if it wasn't in use. But was dead wrong about the DL. He passed on that warning to his boss who in turn passed it on to the State Police. I received an apology from the 1Sgt of the state police about the DL warning. In 1990 I was back in the PRM with my pickup. It had a light bar on the roof. Was never bothered, even when I stopped at the scene of a bad accident to render aid and had the lights on.

As far as the GloRyders, I haven't been stopped. And I've had NC troopers, deputies, and city cops beside me at night and none have ever said anything.

1985 ???????? I was 12 years old :yikes: I must be a young Pup........:bowdown:

 

[Bob Denman]

Yes; you are!
Look at it this way: you plan to live forever, is still working! :roflblack:

 

[spyder-dude]

I know when I was in Daytona Beach for Bike week this year I saw a ton of motorcycles with blue and red lights as underglow which you could see from the side or back. I think it is great for making you more visible as long as it isn't flashing. I know this law varies state by state and was told by a Virginia police offer they are illegal here too.