Transportation and Vehicle Safety: LED Lights, lighting laws, maximum intensity

Question
Hi im 16 in new mexico and owning my first car i am a fan of underglow and i someone told me that my car was illegsal becasue it had lights on the outside.another friend of mine said it was ok as long as yhey werent a certain color.i have looked everywhere for the new mexico laws on vehical modification i have found nothing. my question is are LED lights(interior and exterior) illegal in the state of new mexico? is there a certian color i cant have?

thanks kourtney

Answer
Hello Kourtney and welcome to AllExperts!

I will assume that you will want not only an answer, but also an explanation.

I am not familiar with the specific laws in New Mexico, however, the National Highway Transport and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has many rules regarding what a vehicle can and cannot have, and all States are required to follow these Federal standards. NHTSA tells the automotive manufactures what they can and cannot install in their vehicles as standard equipment. In those areas not covered by NHTSA, individual States can and often do adopt additional restrictions.

Lighting laws are one of the most restrictive in the country. They determine what color lights can be used, where each color can be placed, minimum and maximum intensity in lumens, distance from the ground, and many many other areas of specificity.

The whole idea is to standardize what a driver can expect, such as determining an emergency vehicle from a one that is not, determining the direction of a vehicles travel at night (bright white in front, dim red in back), determining a vehicles intentions (yellow blinker for a lane change), (bright red in rear for braking), (white light in rear for backing) and the list goes on. Another important reason for regulating lighting is to ensure it is used as a means to promote safety and not cause a distraction.

With ground effects, there are only two reasons for having them. One is for the owner of the moving vehicle to observe their own light show, and the second is to allow other motorists to observe the light show. In both cases, the very reason for their existence is to draw attention. This means attention is drawn away from where drivers should be looking at, especially when the lights are moving, changing colors, or using colors that interfere with night vision.

Some States allow ground effects when vehicles are static (parked), while others require the static vehicle to be off any city, county or highway controlled roadways. Various restrictions  can and will change often from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

I suggest you contact your local Police Department/Sheriff's Office to ascertain what your local laws and/or ordinances allow or forbid.

I know ground effects look really awesome, but the main purpose for operating a motor vehicle by code is to navigate from point A to point B safely, operating the vehicle in a manner that provides the greatest protection to all others who share the roadway with you (drivers/pedestrians). The law doesn't care about adornment, beauty, personalization or fashion statements. It was solely written for safe transportation.

I know this wasn't the answer you were looking for, but I hope it at least makes sense Kourtney.

Have a great day.

Terry