[KarthikK]

In the recent days, I seem to be seeing more and more cars on the road sporting F1-style LED flashing lights wired to the brakelamps at the rear. (images below)

These LED lights are quite bright and are similar to strobe lights (flashing). Some car owners configure them to be ON all the time, while some wire them up to activate only when the brakes are depressed.






Are these lights okay to install on the cars here?? One of my colleagues was pulled up by the traffic cops and penalized under "Use of Dazzling lights" category for sporting these LED lights. I would like to know if there are other car owners here who have faced issues with these lights merely due to high-handedness by the cops, or if there is really a strict rule against such mods (such as for underbody neons). Your thoughts please?

P.S - I couldn't find any thread directly related to this topic. If the mods find a more apt location for this query, please merge it into any other existing thread if needed.

[Fullrevs]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Are these lights okay to install on the cars here?? One of my colleagues was pulled up by the traffic cops and penalized under "Use of Dazzling lights" category for sporting these LED lights. I would like to know if there are other car owners here who have faced issues with these lights merely due to high-handedness by the cops, or if there is really a strict rule against such mods (such as for underbody neons). Your thoughts please?

These were damn cool when they were just out in the market. Now every other car has them on and the 'cool factor' seems to have dropped.

Im surprised they chose to penalize your friend. Some of the cabs in Bangalore run with all sorts of dazzling lights and no one bothers to stop them. Even their door handles have neon lights now

[ajmat]

They are dazzling, try following one especially on a rainy night

[dass]

You beat me to this this thread Karthik. I was thinking of opening up a thread for the exact same question. Though no one I know of has had these installed, I am seeing more and more of these lights on a daily basis. The first question I had was, Are they even legal. Whatever may be the reason, I find them very distracting and imagine what our cab fellows would do to these lights, probably have one in rainbow colors at four corners of the vehicle.

Another related question for the experts, Lot of cabs and few cars also have their turn indicators changed to LED lights and not necessarily in yellow/orange colour, are they legal? They are very difficult to spot in broad day light.

[itwasntme]

If I understand correctly only the side flashers are legal. Any other blinking lights are illegal as per CMVR unless declared and approved during the homologation and ARAI approval process. Some of the high end cars have blinking brake lights which activate only during heavy braking as a safety feature:

http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-121...0-0-0-0-0.html

[Fullrevs]

I doubt they are legal dass. I was offered those "whitish turn indicator led bulbs" when i installed the eagle eyes in my car. I downright refused. Besides there are amber LED bulbs now available so why go for the white I wonder!!

[paragsachania]

Earlier there were enthusiast motorists trying to ape these F1 Brake indicator lights and now its every cabbie wanting to do the same. What is worst - Some install in Blue, Green and Yellow too which flash whenever they apply brakes!

These lights have become a menace on our roads, especially when driving at nights and under rains as they irritate you with their intensity and constant flashing.

Like all those rules from the MV Act that exists merely on books (and probably when a cop doesn't find anything else illegal in your vehicle), this one too can be deemed as legal. After all, haven't we heard high pressure horns falling to deaf years, Disco tail & Brake lights turned blind eyes upon during that regular commute to work and back within the city limits itself where cops' presence is highest?

I only wish there is amendment in these rules, a regular crackdown on the erring motorists to restore some sanity on our roads.

[vinair]

In a way I find flashing lights (non jazzy) to be more useful than static ones. Flashing lights actually get ones attention and if I vaguely remember, Mercedes was contemplating incorporating this (flashing rear lights) into their production cars.

[KarthikK]

There are two confusing sides to this safety aspect : Some car owners install these flashing LEDs so that other road users can notice the flashes and become more alert about the vehicle they are approaching. In other words, it helps get the attention of following traffic by acting as an additional brake lamp, which might be a useful thing on a highway. On the flip side, the same lights are distracting for other vehicles closely following the car, so they are deemed unsafe due to the distraction risk they bring in.

Also, aren't rear fog lamps doing the same thing (minus the flashing)?? Those are also brighter than the regular brake lamps and can be a possible 'dazzling light' for following traffic, when used in the city.

[black_rider]

Originally Posted by vinair

Flashing lights actually get ones attention ...

But its a mess when you have tens of lights flashing in dense traffic. Continuously glowing brake lights have been doing a good enough job till now, and there would be reasons why law mandates them to be continuously glowing.

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Also, aren't rear fog lamps doing the same thing (minus the flashing)?? Those are also brighter than the regular brake lamps and can be a possible 'dazzling light' for following traffic, when used in the city.

That's why many countries have laws that require you to turn fog lamps on only when there is fog. Its illegal otherwise.

[Ravindra M]

They are NOT legal.

If you are considering them, please DON'T ! for the sake of other fellow drivers who are following you.

They are very very bright, and I am not sure of what is the wavelength of their light radiation and is there safety certifications exists at all. Mostly not. Sometimes back I heard of a issue of Chinese LEDs emitting in the range beyond visible light and they were harmful to human eyes, just like Lasers.

[swiftnfurious]

From what I know, any lights other than factory sets are illegal. Though these lights are "cool", I have been reading numerous feedback that they indeed strain eyes. I personally felt that even other lights take a toll on your eyes with those fancy colors. You stare at those for few seconds, the entire visual starts blurring for you.

Heck, for that sake, anything on the car other than from the factory can be considered illegal from what one policeman told me. Yeah; that included my race stripes even!

Edit:: Did you guys know that Mr. Rishiraj Singh is on a hunt for the extra lights on vehicles in Kerala - anything other than stock fitments?

[tharian]

I doubt any one of the owners who fixed these lights have done so due to the safety aspect. It all part of the bling factor.
If we were in Padmini/Ambassador era, this makes sense. In the age of cars in which a high stop lamp is mandatory and Maruti's have a fog lamp on the bumper which can be connected to to the stop lamp as well, this is just an extra .
Most of the cars I have seen them fitted with, the light is located at the tail pipe level. Unless it is not on or flashing all the while, I do not find it annoying actually. Like I said before, there is no real use of it , it is just an extra to make the car look 'cool'.
I have seen two wheelers with them now. There was an ad in Tbhp classifieds months back selling these lights.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Are these lights okay to install on the cars here??

We all get irritated and strained when driving in city traffic where the driver in the front switches ON the rear fog lamps. That brightness itself is a pain to handle so these strobe lighting will blind the driver behind it.

We have enough people who drive using high beams + front and rear fog lamps, why add another set of lights to the nuisance?!

Anurag.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

Some of the cabs in Bangalore run with all sorts of dazzling lights and no one bothers to stop them.

Forget the cabs running with dazzling lights or these LED Flashing lights, I have seen autos running around with these lights. I will capture a picture next time I find these.

They are dazzling and cause unnecessary divertion of attention of the other drivers.