tinted tail lights in Michigan?

[Connorscamaro]

hey guys
I know tinting is on the iffy side in ontario, but I'm wondering wha the laws are in Michigan?
my girlfriend lives there and I visit her quite a bit and I really don't wanna have a lot of problems with state troopers and local police.

reccomend or pass up the tinting ?

[CALLAWAY11]

I had tinted taillights on my accord and got pulled over and was told to remove it, never did, ended up selling it for my car now.

[MLL67RSSS]

Answer to question @ http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,4643,7...3839--,00.html

Question: Is having smoked tail light/brake covers legal in Michigan? How about the smoked ones with slashes or vents in them showing a small part of the original red lens?

Answer: MCL 257.686 requires a tail lamp to emit a red light plainly visible for at least 500 feet to the rear of the vehicle.

MCL 257.697 requires stop lamps to emit a red or amber light and be capable of being seen and distinguished from other lamps for a distance of 100 feet, including during normal daylight.
If the cover you apply prohibits the lamp from meeting these requirements then it is unlawful.

You may also want to note the last post in this law enforcement forum thread:

http://www.realpolice.net/forums/archive/t-100370.html

"McNulty 02-06-12, 08:55 PM
I worked a rear-end collision where a guy had applied this spray to his tail/brake lamp enclosures. It was daytime and not only did his lenses no longer reflect, they were no longer plainly visible. He braked for a stopped bus and was struck from the rear by another driver that was following him too close. I found them both contributing to the collision and he later told me that he ended up paying for the damage to his own vehicle because I found him partially at fault for the illegal vehicle modification.

Take what you want from that story."

So if you do tint them, you may want to prepare for that possibility should you be rear-ended.

[taf21979]

I live In Michigan and have had tinted tailights for over ten years on my fourth gen And now my 5th gen,I have never been pulled for them. Tinted windows is a different story

[dermo1989]

I have the perforated vinyl on mine and have never been pulled over. Knock on wood.

[Dropspeed]

Reciprocity in law means that Michigan honors the laws of other states for people traveling through them. IE if it is legal to tint your tailights (or windows) in Canada and you have (I assume) an Ontario plate they will not ticket you for the items.

Now this can be interpreted differently in a civil case. In the case listed above, if you are rear ended because you have modified your vehicles taillights and it no longer meets DOT requirements for brightness and reflection you could potential be held accountable. Most likely 50% at most.....But if there is a death in the accident it will still cost you $$$. Just food for thought....

I understand it is for looks, but I never understood why people tinted taillights as they are there to tell other drivers you are stopping. Same goes for headlamps.....I prefer to see clearly at night

-Matt

[ghostrider2]

I agree with Dropspeed.. People have no clue about stopping distance and always follow to close, add in all the new distractions like texting, etc. and you just asking to get hit from the rear.
Personally I think it's a idiot mod to do, those lights are ment to get the attention of other drivers and you are not only risking your life but now you are risking the lives of others just to look cool. just my 2 cents.....

[Green Machine]

If someone is going to hit you, they'll hit you with or without taillights tint. I have brighter LEDs in my car so when I do tint it'll still be brighter then OEM.

Also isn't Michigan a no fault state?

Sent from somewhere on the road.

[HDRDTD]

OK, I'll chime in on this one.
First off, having taillights that are visible to other people when you apply the brakes or (heaven forbid) you use your turn signal, are crucial!
They are a way of getting the attention of the person behind you so they have at least 'some' idea of whet you're about to do.

Second, yes people have a tendency to follow too close these days. why?
Often it's because they feel that if they leave a safe distance between their car and the one in front, someone in a hurry in the next lane will leap right into that open space as they change lanes. people seem to think that if there's 2in more space than their car is long, then it's safe to change lanes. Whether they do it on purpose, or they just don't use their mirrors properly to ensure there's enough space BEFORE changing lanes. People get angry enough at those a$$hats, that they purposely follow the car in front just close enough to prevent the lane-changer from jumping in ahead of them. talk about a dangerous situation! When they're following that close on purpose, it's even more important that they keep an eagle eye on the car in front and be ready to brake at the slightest hint of the car slowing down or braking. I was taught to make sure any cars in the next lane were visible to you in the INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR before judging it was safe to change lanes.

Third, I believe that most people that tint their taillights or side markers do it for looks. their car looks better to them if the tail lights or side markers just blend in with the color of the car rather than stand out. How about this idea.
Make it a law that when the tail lights, turn signals, side markers, etc, are LIT UP, that they must display a given brightness. If that were the case, it would allow for people to tint their lenses, as long as they compensate by using brighter bulbs.
it would allow for the tinted look when they are not lit, but would also ensure that when the lights are applied, they would be visible to other drivers.

[ghostrider2]

Well said HD.

[Dropspeed]

Originally Posted by oratunpeter

Tinting and all other window tint services are offered online.The are the best services..

Frosted film
Window tint supplier

I don't think there is a single person that will order from Australia when everything is readily available in the US.