Amber light laws?

[navytrooper]

Sorry about asking it here, guys, but I couldn't find the answer anywhere else.

If I keep one rotating yellow light ("gumball machine") on the rear of my car (used in case the car breaks down; my dad hates the clicking noise the normal stock yellow emergency lights have), will that be illegal? I live in California (hope that doesn't violate CPP).

[PhoenixCadet]

Originally Posted by navytrooper

Sorry about asking it here, guys, but I couldn't find the answer anywhere else.

If I keep one rotating yellow light ("gumball machine") on the rear of my car (used in case the car breaks down; my dad hates the clicking noise the normal stock yellow emergency lights have), will that be illegal? I live in California (hope that doesn't violate CPP).

Uh, dude, that's what your emergency flashers are for. No need to keep an anything extra in your car.

Not to sound like I'm bashing you, but look up the term "whacker". The term is used mostly in volunteer firefighting / EMS to describe those who severely overload their POV's with emergency lights. It's also used to describe someone who uses lights when they have no need (or aren't authorized them in the first place). I'm not saying you're secretly trying to pass as an undercover cop or break traffic laws or anything (won't work with an amber light), but really - "because your dad hates the clicking noise the lights make"? If you've gotten into an accident, (1) the "clicking noise" your emergency flashers make will be the least of your worries, and (2) if you really were in an accident, you wouldn't even hear the "clicking" because you wouldn't be sitting in your car.

Regardless - CA has some of the strictest (if not the the strictest) light laws in the country. Unless you're driving a vehicle authorized to have an amber light (tow truck, roadside maintainence, disaster workers, etc.) and have a permit for it, it's illegal. CA doesn't even allow our firefighters / EMT's to run red and/or blue lights like some states do. Stick with your emergency flashers.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc25251.htm

-PC

[navytrooper]

Thanks for replying; I agree with you completely. I was just hoping to use that in lieu of the emergency flashers because my dad physically pushed my hand away when I tried to turn them on. Weird, I know, but he's adamant against using them. Got to adapt to one's parents, eh?