People don’t realize the red and blue lights are a problem, and I’ve seen guys that deck out their cruisers with especially the blue lights around the engine get pulled over. Used to be for such an offense you’d get a fix it ticket and have to have it inspected maybe without a fine, but these days you’ll probably be fined as well. And we just saw a Camaro in Cheyenne with minimal white Christmas lights, so they maybe learned previously about blue and red lights? Police here probably just give a warning.
Although you may be tempted to string thousands of Christmas lights on your car to show off your holiday glee, it’s against the law. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says it would even ticket Santa.
By Renée Jean
It might sound like the plot of a new Grinch movie, but it’s for real. The Wyoming Highway Patrol is warning drivers that putting Christmas lights on their vehicles is illegal, particularly if the lights include blue and/or red.
But it’s not the colors that are the real issue, WHP Trooper Jason Simmer told Cowboy State Daily. It’s a serious safety issue for motorists — one that makes twinkling Christmas lights outside a parade illegal just about everywhere in America.
That means not even Santa Claus is allowed to have twinkling lights on whatever he drives around, if he’s on a public highway.
The real issue, Simmer said, is that Christmas lights spread all over a vehicle, regardless of color, can mess with depth perception.
“If you have all those Christmas lights on, and you are braking because there’s some type of emergency in front of you, and other motorists can’t tell because of the amount of lights on the vehicle,” Simmer said. “If there’s a hill, or a curve, all that stuff can come into play.
“And when you have more lights, it’s more distraction. That increases reaction time and decreases the amount of time you have to actually react to something.”
While some might contend this isn’t a big deal or just an excuse for a government agency can be Scrooge-like, Simmer has seen a different narrative play out when there are accidents involved.
“If someone hits you because of that and says, ‘Hey, I couldn’t see ’em before that,’ I wouldn’t want to have to deal with insurance,” Simmer said. “And then possibly not have your car taken care of after someone hits you.”
The other issue with twinkling lights all over a vehicle is that sometimes people start looking at the lights instead of where they are driving, he said. That can cause people to drift into the wrong lane, leading to accidents.
With Parades, It’s OK
Wyoming Highway Patrol’s recent warning about Christmas lights on vehicles refers to a statute that prohibits red and blue colors on the front of vehicles.
“While this might look cool and be festive, we would remind you that it is illegal,” the WHP warning says. “Please remember to stay safe when celebrating this season.”
Below that, many people responded by accusing the WHP of acting like a Grinch, and pointed out it’s common in Christmas parades.
“I don’t know if the red or blue statute is the one I would have chosen to kind of say, ‘Hey, this is kind of a distraction on vehicles and the road,” Simmer said.
Decorating cars with Christmas lights for parades, meanwhile, is a much different scenario and one that he suggested is legal — as long as the driver turns off or unplugs the lights once back on a regular road or highway.
“A parade is obviously a permitted (event),” he said. “The road is closed, and you know, (Christmas lights) are something that’s expected.”
But once a motorist leaves the parade or other closed-off, permitted holiday event, they should then unplug their Christmaslights so they’re not operating outside of the permitted event venue.
As for lights underneath a car, those could be legal, Simmer said, depending on the circumstances. It would just depend on things like how bright the lights are, whether they flash and move, or if they cause some other foreseeable problem.
So, they could still set motorists up for the same type of ticket they would receive for putting twinkling Christmas lights on their vehicle and then operating that vehicle on a public highway.
The fine for adding Christmas lights to a car, or otherwise operating a vehicle in an unsafe manner, is $100, according to state statues, with a $10 discount available to motorists who are wearing a seat belt.
“You need to be aware of all directions around a vehicle,” Simmer said about making modifications to a car or truck. “Not just, ‘Hey, this is a really cool side profile look for this vehicle.’”
Catchall Statute
The statute Simmer referenced is fairly general, meant to be a catchall for any and all unsafe modifications.
The statute makes it a misdemeanor crime for anyone to cause or knowingly permit a vehicle to be driven in any type of unsafe condition that endangers any person.
“That’s pretty much saying, it’s just a general one for like, speed too fast for conditions,” Simmer explained. “So, what is too fast for conditions? Well, if you’re driving so fast you slide off the roadway because there’s not enough friction.”
The same law covers situations like having only one taillight which, particularly at night, can make other motorists think there’s a motorcycle on the highway instead of a much larger vehicle.
One idea for those in a festive mood who still want to decorate their vehicles might be a Christmas wreath, as long as it’s not placed to block signal or brake lights, Simmer said.
“I think we’ve seen some of those on the front of vehicles,” he said. “And I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a violation with that.
“But again, depending on what lights you put on them, I would probably be wary of red and blue on them, just in case.”