Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportstick
They certainly take the vehicle out of NHTSA certification to FMVSS requirements. The vehicle could not be manufactured as such. However, NHTSA does not have jurisdiction over individually owned vehicles. There may be state statutes about defeating lighting, but that would be a state-by-state issue. Having said that, this is one of the most unfortunate and counterproductive mods available. The data that generated the NHTSA rulemaking for the reflectors was based on crash experience. Particularly with the aging of the population, macular degenration, a dark car, a rainy night, and it's not at all hard to imagine how a side impact at an intersection could occur. For those who wish to take the risk, the problem is that you are engaging someone else in a potential crash who didn't get a choice about being able or not to see you. All that for the sake of a very minor aesthetic tweak? I don't get it.
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They seem to get by in Europe just fine without the reflectors. The archaic US regs around headlights would seem to be a much more obvious contributor to visibility (or lack therof)at night.