This type of light can emit a bluish tint, although if legal, it would still be considered “white” under federal motor vehicle safety standards. A truly blue lighthouse would be illegal. Many state laws comply with these federal standards. This gives law enforcement the power to stop and summon vehicles that they believe contain illegal xenon or HID lights. Most seem to recognize the difference, so it`s fair to say that most states will allow factory-installed blue headlights, but not DIY kits or aftermarket bulbs. Barb VanWinkle of Everett writes, “When I drive at night, I see more and more bright blue headlights on vehicles approaching me. These lights hurt my eyes. This makes driving much more difficult. Are they legal? Are they a wave of the future? Is there a way to ban them? I`m not the only one who thinks so, and other seniors I talk to seem to agree. “DOT” does not mean that the Department of Transportation has approved the lights; Rather, according to NHTSA, it is the manufacturer`s own certification for compliance with federal standards. Just because a xenon or HID conversion kit is labeled “DOT” doesn`t mean the federal government has certified it as road-legal. After a moment of the most intense blue light in your field of vision, an oncoming car passes and your night vision returns. What just happened? High-intensity blue headlights are illegal – and make it difficult for me to see properly at night.
Why is there apparently no oversight of this dangerous practice? What are the regulations? —Scot, Burlington, Ont. I shouted a little, and Travis Spitzer, a retail salesman at AutoZone in Everett, proved to be the most helpful in describing the world of headlights these days. What about police work? Law enforcement has neither the time nor the manpower to stop these vehicles and verify that the headlights meet the standards. Matthew Ham of Sparks writes: “I keep seeing a lot of purple or even blue headlights on cars, is it legal? I thought blue was reserved for police cars. He says: “The agency has received hundreds of letters regarding the glare of the new `blue` headlights in luxury cars.” Reno Police Department Police Officer Tim Broadway responded, “Factory-installed lights on newer vehicles are not considered blue. If someone buys a real `blue` headlamp, they can be arrested and quoted. “We had exactly the same arguments about blinding headlights when halogen lamps came out years ago, after the old bulbs where you could barely see on the highway,” says Raynald Marchand, Director General of Programs at the Canada Safety Council. “If the lights are glare, it`s because they`re misaligned or the vehicle is heavily loaded.” First, understand that “blue” headlights are not really blue. They are bright white. They only look blue because the light you`re so used to seeing headlights in a car is actually closer to yellow rather than white.
This colored light applies to three types of headlights currently in use: HID lights can be annoying, but they are not illegal. That said, some people think they look cool and get replacement blue bulbs to mimic high-end headlights. So you can definitely install “blue” or “super blue” headlights because the wavelength of the light is actually white. However, no other color can be used. It is illegal to use headlights of different colors on a vehicle. The only true colors you can have are white on the front of a car or truck and amber for turn signals. So you can`t install colored bulbs, blackout hues and halo LED lights on headlights. Mixing colors on headlights is illegal. • Short answer: It depends on whether they`re really blue (probably from illegal aftermarket light bulbs) or if they`re actually a white that appears blue to the human eye (probably from factory-installed legal headlights on newer vehicles).
Police departments in Reno and Sparks issued tickets for illegals. These replacements can wreak havoc on oncoming motorists and are illegal. “Instead of being an incandescent light bulb, they have xenon gas,” he said.
