Transportation and Vehicle Safety: hids, motor vehicle safety, oem specs

Question
hey mr expert,
I want to know if its legal or not to put these HID conversion kit (bulb, ballast) into my camry which has a halogen housing. You're from California but I want to know about Maryland, Montgomery County.
I see way too many of these HIDs in cars with halogen housing on the streets where I live and they are real bright.
I will follow on your response, Thanks ahead of time.

Answer
Hi Van.....

I will attempt to answer this, although, it is one of the more difficult issues dealing with the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) who sets standards for motor vehicle safety within the U.S.

Firstly, there are many components that you may legally change and some that may not be changed from manufacturers specifications. The type of light and reflected lumens are one of those categories that is not allowed to be changed from OEM specs. This would certainly cover color, intensity of light (lumens), and what type of lighting the manufacturer had certified for that model through NHTSA.

For instance, if your car came with a halogen specification, then you would be  in affect installing an uncertified, unlicensed and un-inspected upgrade onto your car. As this would be seen as a public safety concern, it would be a citable offense.

Should you become involved in an accident during the hours of darkness, your unlawful modification could result in being civilly and criminally fined if one of the causal factors was blinding another motorist.

When it comes to vehicle safety, I would recommend that you resist such modifications. They are not worth the cost of a citation and/or criminal/civil damages.

I hope this answer helps Van. Have a great day!

Terry