For all of you that don't know. Some states require you to cover your light bar(off-road lighting) while driving. I received a $129.00 fine which will be forgiven if I cover it up. I argued it was not on and that I have yet to see someone use one while driving on the street, and that should warrant the ticket not having them on your vehicle. He went on to say something about road glare, I again reiterated give a ticket to the moron driving with them on. No luck. Anyway I ordered a nice cover from Cali raised led for $44. Cheaper than the ticket. Just putting this out there for anyone who's not aware of this, so you don't have to deal with the hassle. I'm from Pa by the way. I looked it up as well because the cop sounded like he did not know the reason why he was ticketing me only that he knew he could, and the cover is for in case you turn them on while driving. Give me a break. It always seems like someone's trying to get in your pocket.

 

How big is your bar and where is it mounted?

 

Pa has some of the most backwards inspection and traffic laws. Desined ONLY for revenue generation.

 

50" curved above windshield

 

I'd probably give you a ticket too lol. I'd be a dick to anyone with bro truck items on their vehicle if I was a cop haha. Pull people over for any little thing ha!

 

I have one on my roof and have never been stopped for it. I actually use mine quite a bit though. I do a lot of backroad driving at night, so I wont remove it

 

It all depends your state,Some states you can only have driving lights or fog lights on the bumper anything has to be covered.Some states you can only have 2 lights you added not covered the rest have to be.And just depends a lot on the cop if he wants to do the paper work or not.

 

I remember reading some where that NJ is the same way. you are allowed 2 fog lights mounted to the bumper but any others have to be covered. But they don't do safety inspections anymore so I think they stopped checking. I remember living in PA. At a tire shop in Erie the guy putting my tires on was going to pull my fog lights off of my wrangler because they did not turn off with the high beams. He did not touch them but I did go home and rewire them the correct way.

 

Had a 50" over my roof on my XJ and still have the very same 50" on my windshield on the JK. Never been stopped before.

People in Florida also run their smaller light bars on the road all the time without tickets. I myself used to run my old 12-incher on the road all the time, mounted at bumper height. I'd turn it off as cars approached just like I would with high beams. Cops never cared in these parts.

Believe it or not, in some places around here, people run the 50" roof light bars on the road as a complete **** you to everyone else on the road. I was never one of them though. Funny they never get caught.

 

In FL, the technical law is, anything above the vehicle headlight centerline must be covered while operating/driving on the road. They really don't bother you unless you are being a douche and driving with them on.

 

Of course you had no luck. The law in your state says it has to be covered, not that it just has to be off. Whether other people have their lights on has nothing to do with it. The cop gave you a ticket for having it uncovered. The cop did not write the law. The cop just enforces the law. The cop can't change the law even if he thinks it's wrong. Arguing with a cop over what you think the law should be will get you nowhere, because police are not paid to ponder whether a law is just.

So just cover it up and either quit whining or visit your state legislators to try to get the law changed.

I spent some time in Texas. Jackholes in brodozers there will use their light bars like high beams. It's not unusual to see idiots in Houston tailgating people in front of them and flashing their light bars at them. Now that I've moved to Florida, I have seen a few people around here riding with them on as well. That's really the only time I ever wish I had a light bar, to flash back at the morons.

 

Here's a trick...

If your light bar isn't curved and it's a law not to have a bare bar facing other vehicles, simply rotate it backwards so that the light isn't facing traffic. Most of the time it's as good as being "covered" and you won't get stopped. If you intend to use it, keep an allen wrench in your glove box and adjust as necessary.

Definitely agree they won't bother you and I believe it's a sign of the times and the area in which we live. But where have you heard the part about covering? To my knowledge, there are state statutes in Florida about height and amount of lights (depending on their purpose), but nothing about covering:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/.../0316.233.html

 

God, my home state of Pensylvannia makes me facepalm so hard sometimes!

Similarly, how the staties harass the Jeep brethren about fender flares.

Other than the stupid inspection and traffic laws, its all good here.

 

Sorry there buddy if it sounded like I was whining. Maybe no one ever taught you that closed mouths don't get fed. If you go through life bending over for everybody there gonna keep taking advantage. If you think somethings stupid let them know. He didn't have to give me a ticket he could of made me aware of the law and I'd obliged and cover it up, who wants to get pulled over?

 

This is true about NJ. I lived there for the past 30 years so I know. Regardless they don't do full inspections there anymore, it's a ticketable offence to drive on public streets with offroad lights uncovered. They have not stopped checking. Many cops don't pay attention, but just as many do.
I think it's a fair law, and I can't see why any responsible adult would find it a hassle to comply. Like someone said (and I have seen it happen since moving to VA) people will use those lights to be a__holes on the road, especially in rural areas where Five-0 presence is sparse and they can get away with it. Temptation. Some people will give in to it and blind you and think it's funny.