ANTAUS Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 http://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/20/ford-camera-based-front-lighting-system/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Somebody posted a video to that a few weeks ago. That's got to be one of the coolest uses of new technology. Too bad it can't come to the US... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Somebody posted a video to that a few weeks ago. That's got to be one of the coolest uses of new technology. Too bad it can't come to the US... Nope, BWM/Audi/Benz already have lighting systems like this that are used in Europe and are not available in the US. The U.S. really needs to update the lighting laws here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 The U.S. really needs to update the lighting laws here. This! ^^^^^^^ While we're at it, make it legal to take a baseball bat to aftermarket HIDs and smoked taillights. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I don't understand how blacked out tail/headlights are legal. You can't even see them at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I don't understand how blacked out tail/headlights are legal. You can't even see them at night. They're not. They're completely totally illegal and dangerous. But kids don't care because they look cool! And the cops don't seem to care either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 It's also illegal to install aftermarket HIDs in a non factory standard configuration, but again that doesn't stop people from putting them in and the cops don't seem to care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 They're not. They're completely totally illegal and dangerous. But kids don't care because they look cool! And the cops don't seem to care either. Ah, see I wasn't aware of that, or the HID thing. Side note, I liked the smoked tail lights that came as an option on the 08-11 Focus. I almost put them on mine when I broke a lens a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 They're not. They're completely totally illegal and dangerous. But kids don't care because they look cool! And the cops don't seem to care either. Depends on how dark the tails are. A very lite tint, similar to smoked lenses on the f150 or older focus look really nice and don't effect light output that much. If your tails look like you rolled some black paint on then yes it's a safety hazard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) Ah, see I wasn't aware of that, or the HID thing. Side note, I liked the smoked tail lights that came as an option on the 08-11 Focus. I almost put them on mine when I broke a lens a few years ago. Those are legal. I put them on my '09 SES along with the matching headlights and the non chrome bumper that came on the 2010+ SES models. What he's talking about are the people that are spraying a product called Niteshade that is available from auto parts stores that is for off road use only. Edited July 20, 2015 by Pioneer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Those are legal. I put them on my '09 SES along with the matching headlights and the non chrome bumper that came on the 2010+ SES models. What he's talking about are the people that are spraying a product called Niteshade that is available from auto parts stores that is for off road use only. I know. I see the wannabe street racers putting them on their rice burners all the time. There's one doucher I see who used that on a Taurus and it looks hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 There's these too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Actually with smoked or even aftermarket HID's if you are in an accident with a vehicle that has them technically the accident is that person's fault as the vehicle is not street legal under DOT illumination rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 If they're smoked from the factory then they take that into account with the bulb brightness and they're DOT legal. If they at least put in brighter bulbs to compensate for the tint then that might be ok although still technically illegal. I've seen some tinted so dark you basically couldn't see the brake lights in bright sunlight. Why these idiots think that's a good idea I'll never understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 The Trans-Atlantic trade negotiations may allow those technologies into the US. And--are police trained/equipped to ticket people for using non-DOT approved accessories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 The Trans-Atlantic trade negotiations may allow those technologies into the US. And--are police trained/equipped to ticket people for using non-DOT approved accessories? They likely don't know all the rules themselves. And how do they even know without looking whether it's DOT approved or not? Too time consuming when there are bigger fish to fry. I like akirby's idea: ...make it legal to take a baseball bat to aftermarket HIDs and smoked taillights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 The really bad smoked taillights are obvious. They could give them a fix-it ticket like window tint but you're right - there are usually bigger fish to fry. I do know that they are trained and equipped to give you a ticket for traveling more than 300 ft in a center turn lane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I do know that they are trained and equipped to give you a ticket for traveling more than 300 ft in a center turn lane. Sounds like you know from experience? Did they measure that 300 ft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 That was, I think, the last ticket I ever received. Maybe second-to-last. In Sioux Falls it's pretty easy. The blocks in the center of town are all about 300' long. If they see you drive through an intersection to get to another intersection, bam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Who said it was me? This one was pretty easy - traffic is usually backed up for at least 1000 ft if not more with a significant number of folks wanting to turn left. Around the 800 ft mark there are a couple of subdivisions but from there to the intersection there is nothing on the right hand side except a barely used church recreation building, so there is hardly ever a car coming from the opposite direction turning left in that section. They should have made it a really long left turn lane instead. The officer told me they'd been getting calls from the homeowners in the subdivisions because people used to enter that turn lane in front of their subdivisions, so I can see where that would be annoying. But then they put up plastic sticks so you have to be past there before you can enter (but still at least 800 ft away). I was at least 600 ft - and I saw the cop but I had no idea there was a 300 ft limit until he very nicely explained it to me. Only cost $75 and no points. Since they put up the sticks they don't even bother to pull people over any more. It's not dangerous and it helps traffic flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Who said it was me? This one was pretty easy - traffic is usually backed up for at least 1000 ft if not more with a significant number of folks wanting to turn left. Around the 800 ft mark there are a couple of subdivisions but from there to the intersection there is nothing on the right hand side except a barely used church recreation building, so there is hardly ever a car coming from the opposite direction turning left in that section. They should have made it a really long left turn lane instead. The officer told me they'd been getting calls from the homeowners in the subdivisions because people used to enter that turn lane in front of their subdivisions, so I can see where that would be annoying. But then they put up plastic sticks so you have to be past there before you can enter (but still at least 800 ft away). I was at least 600 ft - and I saw the cop but I had no idea there was a 300 ft limit until he very nicely explained it to me. Only cost $75 and no points. Since they put up the sticks they don't even bother to pull people over any more. It's not dangerous and it helps traffic flow. You know, sometimes rules like that need to be bent to make traffic flow smoother. A nice warning instead of a $75 ticket would have sufficed. Oh well, at least it was no points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfpack219 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 They're not. They're completely totally illegal and dangerous. But kids don't care because they look cool! And the cops don't seem to care either. As a Police Officer I can tell you guys judges don't give a crap about this stuff. Even though it's a law on the books they ultimately choose to do absolutely nothing when you cite someone for it. At least where I'm from anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Yeah - you'd think warnings would suffice but apparently they were on strict orders from the chief who was tired of hearing the complaints. I forgot to mention that a month or two after my ticket they actually set up in the church parking lot on the left with several cars and a cop standing in the center turn lane about 100 ft from the intersection and directing violators to turn left into the church parking lot for a ticket. It's like changing lanes at an intersection. The law is there in case someone is turning right on red into the outside lane. But I do it all the time if there is nobody at the intersection. Drives my wife nuts - you'll get a ticket! I said if the cop has nothing better to do than write me a ticket for that when there is nobody in the intersection that could possibly turn right, then here's my $75. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 As a Police Officer I can tell you guys judges don't give a crap about this stuff. Even though it's a law on the books they ultimately choose to do absolutely nothing when you cite someone for it. At least where I'm from anyhow. Well that would explain the lack of enforcement. No need to waste your time. Do you look for tinted taillights if someone is rear ended? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfpack219 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Well that would explain the lack of enforcement. No need to waste your time. Do you look for tinted taillights if someone is rear ended? Sure but if the driver of the 2nd vehicle (vehicle that rear ends car in front) doesn't say anything about the dim lighting, I can only notate the equipment on the vehicle and issue the citation to the driver of vehicle 1. The judge is possibly more inclined to make them remove them if driver 2 says something I suppose but in my 6 years of patrol and DWI enforcement I have yet to see any driver be penalized for obstructed lenses. Just a very liberal judicial district in NM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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