Car ownership. There are few feelings that can truly match the feeling of being the owner of such a magnificent engineering marvel. We humans have always been proud of our ability to innovate and create. That can easily be manifested in how society perceives those people who are able to invent new things as people who are highly valued.
And to a lesser extent, that same positive perception trickles down to those who are able to purchase these mechanical marvels. And you would think that since you are the owner of your car, you’re free to customize it to your heart’s content. After all, nothing says “mine” more than a personalized object. Even a personalized pen with your name on it already holds significant sentimental value.
But, much like many other liberties, the law sets limits upon what we can do with our car. And well, based on experience, rules are much easier to follow when you know the wisdom upon which these rules were established. First of all, you don’t want to get involved in a car accident, much less cause one. And even if you do have reliable professionals like Blumenshine Law attorneys who could help you, it’s still a much wiser decision to simply prevent anything bad from happening. So, what are some illegal car modifications you should avoid and what exactly makes these modifications illegal?
Neon Lights (Underbody)
Do you recall the zombies from Land of the Dead? How they were so easily entranced by fireworks? Surely neon LED lights no longer have the same effect on you, dear readers. But for other people they do, and any distraction on the road is dangerous. While it’s true that the trend has died down in recent years, these will still fetch you (unfortunately) a rather expensive ticket.
Altered Headlight and Taillight Colors
Communication. We all know how important it is to make our intentions known to other drivers. There’s a very good reason why, no matter where you are in the world, green means “go” and red means “stop”. When you alter the color of your lights, you are, in fact, creating confusion. Not only that, but aftermarket lights tend to be substandard compared to stock lights, so, they’re going to fog up quicker. When your lights aren’t clear, then your car is no longer considered to be roadworthy.
Excessively Altered Ride Height
Whether it’s in the form of lifted trucks or low riders, excessively-altered ride heights tend to hinder the stability and handling of a car. As most drivers already know, a loss of control will almost always result in a car crash. And again, it’s for this reason that it’s illegal to have these modifications done to your car.
Excessively Loud Horns
These are more than simply disruptive to the surroundings, these loud horns are actually quite dangerous and you could definitely impair someone’s hearing if you use these too close to them. There’s just nothing that can completely justify having these horns installed on your car, especially when the stock horn already does its job rather well.
