Side marker question
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 6,359
Likes: 163
From: Concord NC
Well here's a little nugget of information for you,take it as you will. Check your local laws because here in NC,all an attorney has to show is 1% contribution to an accident to make it a no fault case. And painting your marker lights could easily be proven to have been contributory,however slightly......
Would really suck to get stuck with a totalled car just because of the "cool" factor of painted lights.
Would really suck to get stuck with a totalled car just because of the "cool" factor of painted lights.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,517
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From: Tampa, FL
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Well here's a little nugget of information for you,take it as you will. Check your local laws because here in NC,all an attorney has to show is 1% contribution to an accident to make it a no fault case. And painting your marker lights could easily be proven to have been contributory,however slightly......
Would really suck to get stuck with a totalled car just because of the "cool" factor of painted lights.
Would really suck to get stuck with a totalled car just because of the "cool" factor of painted lights.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,893
Likes: 1
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 6,359
Likes: 163
From: Concord NC
With all do respect that's reaching. I would be more concerned about the idiots who are on the phone,texting,eating or applying makeup. I dont see how tinted side markers could be the only cause of someone getting into an accident. That being said if you "play you must pay" if you use blackout kits on your tail lights and side makers you must accept the fact that you could be cited based on your states traffic laws.
And it doesn't have to be the only cause to make it a no fault charge,only that it contributed,no matter how slight.
I just wanted to let the OP what he may be opening himself up to by painting his lights. It's his car & he can do with it as he pleases.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Thanks for all the info.
Iv been reading myself and from what I understand you have a much better chance of getting a ticket from smoked taillights, aftermarket hids, or clear corners(taking the amber out of the headlight). As long as you have white headlights, amber front blinkers, red tail lights, and red rear blinkers you have nothing to worry about.
I really don't see why everyone is making this big of a deal out of this. Every time someone post pics of their blacked out z06 you all say how sick it looks not how dangerous it is.
Btw if our side markers were blinkers I would agree with you that it is a bad idea.
Iv been reading myself and from what I understand you have a much better chance of getting a ticket from smoked taillights, aftermarket hids, or clear corners(taking the amber out of the headlight). As long as you have white headlights, amber front blinkers, red tail lights, and red rear blinkers you have nothing to worry about.
I really don't see why everyone is making this big of a deal out of this. Every time someone post pics of their blacked out z06 you all say how sick it looks not how dangerous it is.
Btw if our side markers were blinkers I would agree with you that it is a bad idea.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,893
Likes: 1
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
I think the difference is even with a "blacked out" rear end...when you push the brake pedal the brake lights still light up red. You were pretty clear you wanted to paint the side markers, and thereby knowingly taking away the light/reflective capability of the markers, which is their intended purpose on the vehicle.
As someone said, go right ahead, but don't complain if you get caught and are issued a citation.
As someone said, go right ahead, but don't complain if you get caught and are issued a citation.
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 21
From: Durham NC
You can't be serious.Anyways, the Geiger kit completely deletes the side markers...
I like the "side marker delete" look. Since my car's black, I just blacked them out to match. I think even if you painted yours, the light would still show through a little. You could always buy the black side marker covers and paint them. Then, you could remove them with ease if you change your mind.
Last edited by Mr Guns; Apr 23, 2009 at 07:47 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,681
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From: Mooresville (Race City USA) NC
Dave Lander sites "An Evaluation of Side Marker Lamps for Cars, Trucks and Buses" that concludes, although they have not been effective in reducing fatalaties, their adoption reduced the number of nighttime angle collisions by 16%. I think it reasonable to speculate that clear side markers with yellow bulbs and brilliant white reflectors rather than the hideous amber or red reflectors currently used would be equally effective in reducing accidents without being anywhere near as ugly. Painting over the side markers, however, clearly reduces their effectiveness in helping prevent accidents. One might also reasonably speculate that driving a dark grey or black vehicle at night is significantly more dangerous than driving a lighter colored vehicle.
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Pro
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 564
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From: Tri-Cities Washington
People don't say anything because everybody here wants to play NiceNice and not tell anyone they did something fairly stupid like destroy things that are there to protect them, and more importantly, others. In some cases smoked lenses do look better, but that is also not the point. That also applies to people who put in 4 gazillion candlepower lights and blind anyone they meet because they think they look "kool".
You might also get a clue from your statement that "everyone is making this big of a deal". If nobody cared, or agreed with you, it wouldn't be a big deal. Notwithstanding remarks from Curly, Larry and Moe in some of the earlier posts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,893
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Dave Lander sites "An Evaluation of Side Marker Lamps for Cars, Trucks and Buses" that concludes, although they have not been effective in reducing fatalaties, their adoption reduced the number of nighttime angle collisions by 16%. I think it reasonable to speculate that clear side markers with yellow bulbs and brilliant white reflectors rather than the hideous amber or red reflectors currently used would be equally effective in reducing accidents without being anywhere near as ugly. Painting over the side markers, however, clearly reduces their effectiveness in helping prevent accidents. One might also reasonably speculate that driving a dark grey or black vehicle at night is significantly more dangerous than driving a lighter colored vehicle.
Also...while you quote only the fatality conclusion, you left off the other, equally important conclusion:
Side marker lamps reduce the number of personal injuries in nighttime angle collisions by 21 percent. The reduction is statistically significant (confidence bounds: 12 to 29 percent).
Sorry...but I'm always suspicious when someone arguing a singular point ignores other, valid, ones.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 90
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From: FL
Yes, and thats the real issue.
People don't say anything because everybody here wants to play NiceNice and not tell anyone they did something fairly stupid like destroy things that are there to protect them, and more importantly, others. In some cases smoked lenses do look better, but that is also not the point. That also applies to people who put in 4 gazillion candlepower lights and blind anyone they meet because they think they look "kool".
You might also get a clue from your statement that "everyone is making this big of a deal". If nobody cared, or agreed with you, it wouldn't be a big deal. Notwithstanding remarks from Curly, Larry and Moe in some of the earlier posts.
People don't say anything because everybody here wants to play NiceNice and not tell anyone they did something fairly stupid like destroy things that are there to protect them, and more importantly, others. In some cases smoked lenses do look better, but that is also not the point. That also applies to people who put in 4 gazillion candlepower lights and blind anyone they meet because they think they look "kool".
You might also get a clue from your statement that "everyone is making this big of a deal". If nobody cared, or agreed with you, it wouldn't be a big deal. Notwithstanding remarks from Curly, Larry and Moe in some of the earlier posts.
Pro
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From: Tri-Cities Washington
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