Hey guys. I figured I'd ask here if anyone has had to deal with this before.

I was driving peacefully, minding my own business and NOT doing anything stupid, when I got pulled over. Officer says, "do you know why I pulled you over?" I'm like... "uh... no".

Him: "Your tail lights are too dark."

Me: "Huh? They're stock. OEM. Look at the markings."

So he gives me **** and writes me a ticket.

26101(6) VC tinted taillamps

WTF...

So what can I do about this? I got a "violation information notice" in the mail which says my bail amount is $207 w/o proof (which I have to get from an officer), and $25 with proof. Proof of my LEGAL tail lights? WTH.

Anyone else have this problem before?

 

Damn. Alex just went through this as well. Maybe he might know..

 

Go to the dealer and get a letter of certification which includes the product number as well as print of some type of publication of the tailights.

 

I did trial by declaration send the oem book and abut 10 other picture of oem picture and explained to the judge all just through mail. Got my money back in a month.

Same bullshit, for tinted tail lights lol

 

Looks like modern taillight style has caught on. Lol. Via trial by written declaration is one of the best way and the papers from the dealership is another good source of proof. The more proof the better for your case. FYI this is a ticket cops give when they are bored or looking for something to do. What a waste of tax payer money, time and paper work.

 

https://www.rx7club.com/west-rx-7-fo...lights-856349/

They're for 99 Spec tails but should help you with the tint.

 

I would be tempted to take this one to trial, show up with appropriate evidence (dealer certs, etc as mentioned above) & force the officer to have to show up and explain his ignorance to the judge.

But that's just me. I have a ton of respect for cops, but only if they know their job - - which includes being able to recognize & admit when they made a mistake, rather than trying to bullshit their way through.

If they don't know their job, they should be made to learn it. Humiliation is a strong teacher.

 

OK, been there done that as you'll see in that thread Howru linked you to.

For sure ask for a trial and it should be well worth it 1) Because there are over riding laws in the California Vehicle code that should get it done for you and 2) you'll have the pleasure of making the cop look foolish in front of the judge.

It is a common truth that anyone put in a position of authority must hold themselves to a higher standard of ethic. If he knows his job, then he betrayed that truth by giving you that citation and deserves to be called out as that is simply abuse. If he doesn't know those laws then he is incompetent for that position of authority and thus should be called out on it in any case. Exposing that in an open forum like a courtroom is the ideal place to do that since many of his peers will probably be in the audience to witness.

You can bet that cop will be in front of that judge for other matters, so you'll be helping any of his future "victims" he might appear with in the future at least in front of at least that judge if that judge also recognizes the even higher standard of ethic he must measure up to.

The linked thread will give you all the technical information you'll need to get a not guilty verdict. Take that information and one of your taillights off your car into court, point at the reflector on it, recite the Vehicle Code sections I gave, and you should be good. If you keep in mind all the judge cares about is if you were in violation or not, and you restrain any testimony to just that, you'll be good.

Now, if you REALLY want to make a point. See if one of our popular providers of stock parts will lend you a new lens in a sealed box. You can open that box in the court and show it is just as "smoked" as the one you took off your car.

 

Ok, on further review, because my orientation is to FC's, I realized I need to modify my suggestion.

I surfed FD pics and I now realize the two reflectors Mazda built into the FD so to comply with vehicle code law are not in the taillights as they are in S5 FC tails. They're in the rear bumper.

Basically, the FD stock taillight situation is in the same bucket as a Lexus RX350. Maybe grab a brochure for and FD and RX350 as well for additional evidence as to the validity of the VC's I gave.

http://image.motortrend.com/f/photo_...Brear_view.jpg

So, in addition to the trail light I'd (but that's me) a FD rear bumper and put it on the witness table. No one would doubt you're serious about making clear what's what.

 

....is punishing those with piston crapversion lol

 

LOL I hear you man, his motor doesn't break often enough! Have to compensate somewhere

Sup Big Mike

 

a cop chipped my driver taillight trying to prove that my tail lights were tinted in Torrance.

At the end of the day...find a friend that is a cop. Makes dealing with hassles significantly easier...and when you get these ridiculous tickets.

At the Torrance classic car meet.. I threw a no-front plate ticket for my fd back at the cop laughing.

 

^

lmfao hey brother!

right on bro when you coming back here?

Awesome dude thanks for the link. I have some homework to do

^ Awesome. Thanks Hozz. You've been thru the ringer already, damn.

lol... wth. I sometimes wonder about their judgement or motive when they pull someone over or hassle someone. I think to myself... "don't they have something better to do?" I would like to think that most cops are good people and mean well, but sometimes I'm not so sure. Is it a "quota" thing or what?

 

I just got accosted last week. He would NOT believe me that they're stock, then he told me "What was legal in 1993 might not be legal now".

wtf is that supposed to mean? Go buy those hideous ebay tails or I'll give you a ticket?

I guess I should keep a sales brochure or something in the car.

 

It means the cop in question a) doesn't know his job, and b) has been mentally corrupted in part by the CARB being allowed to play fast and loose with the MVC for years, requiring compliances tighter than were required when the car was first made and accepted.

Quote that line of his before a judge - - see how red he turns when the judge reminds him that he's not allowed to cite people unless he is professionally certain a violation has occurred. "Might not be legal" is not sufficient cause to stop citizens or issue citations. If he can't cite a specific violation, it's legal - not the other way around!

Unless there is a specific ordnance requiring retrofit of a safety feature (and IIRC there hasn't been one since the lap belt rule back in the 70's, which was also grandfathered, or maybe the Jeep "Rollover Warning" stickers from the 80's), DOT acceptance of any safety feature offered on the vehicle when it was manufactured is permanent.

 

Lucky for me, the weed smell was so strong that he forgot about the tails.


j/k. He actually just shook me down and let me go.

 

what was ok in '93 may not be now? what a dipshit.

ask the cop what year his car is and ask him what he would do if a law was passed to make his car illegal to drive tomorrow. most of them are so brainwashed and have their head so far up their *** they don't even know what laws they are enforcing anymore.

does a '1969 camaro meet 2013 emissions standards? no. it meets 1969 emission standards and is still legal to drive on the street under the 1969 standards. does it meet today's lighting standards? braking standards? crash test standards? did they even come with shoulder belts?! do i need to put an airbag in my 50 year old car, mister officer? how about a catalyst that didn't exist in '69?

but don't razz them... they don't like that. apparently you're supposed to just get out of the car when asked, bend over, take it like a man, then thank them AND pay the fines(even if you win the case you still lose time and court fees).


emission test standards may be increasingly more difficult to pass but that is about the only exception i know of for any motor vehicle is emissions. boats also and just about anything that emit exhaust have to meet stricter standards over time(but not always, pre'75 vehicles have virtually no standard any longer). but we're talking about tail lights here, could the officer see them when you applied the brake or turned on the parking lights? if they were legitimately modified and too hard to see, yes, give someone a fix it ticket. stock FD tails however are easy to see in just about any light and not a hinderance to ANYONE.

california cops are pussies anyways. in vegas they have to deal with people from every state and even other countries(so you have all types of people with all types of mentalities), tinted windows are also legal, no front plates and less stringent sound and emissions laws. are people getting pulled over for fart cannons and modified lighting? sometimes i wish yes, because i see dumbasses driving in the middle of the night with NO lights on all the time...

 

I blame it on the hella night shaded guys riding on the 'illest' fitting wheels they could find.

 

It's because you all look like thugs

 

LOL...

The 1993 service manual, page T-2 and T-16 clearly state:

...Smoked Panel fitted to combination light to conceal the lenses...

Meaning this is smoked and is stock in 1993...

WTF officer RTFM

 

Dealer cert
Enlarged pic of the DOT
And a dealer brochure


Make sure you take him to court. That way he can think twice about giving the " weekly tally sheet" with bull **** *** tickets. Lucky for me my friend is going to be a cop in feb his wife is LAPD 4 yrs now. I now a few things here and there.


Plain and simple if you had 3 long days of policing and don't have nothing to show for it .....what do you do....

Jaywalking ticket
Fix it tickets
Turn signal violation
Oh and infamous California roll

The real cops will give you 3 tickets ,slap you in the face and tell you see you in court. Of course that's the same guy who will tow your car because he has nothing better to do, a family to go home to,a lonely teenage years and a chip on his shoulder.

Yup I said it

 

well for you non-cali residence (legally) but work here coz you cant find a real job within your home state....it is very simple, dont let the door hit you on the way out of Cali lol

 

Sux Mike. Just get a real Vette already Them rednex be blacking out their tail lights with no issues. Teeeheee

 

someone should call the IRS. u never use the vette for flower delivery but why is it included on ur shop's business expense lol

 

I see that vette parked in front of your house all the time Wacko!
What's going on??!