Driving lights? You'll love this...
 

Does anyone else drive with thier driving lights on? I have a GXP and ever since I purchased it I have been driving with them when it gets dark. Well, today made me question whether I use them or not...

I was driving home from a friends house and I got pulled over from a cop. I was not speeding or anything and it was about 7:30 pm and dark out. Anyway, I roll my window down and he asks me "do you know why I pulled you over?" I said "no." He said I was blinding people and cannot drive with them on. I do NOT have any aftermarket bulbs or HID's at all. I guess he was just bored...

Be careful guys, I think this is only going to get worse (getting harrassed) as the months and years go by.

-Mike

funky peeps

I have gotten pulled over before but I have hids and they are aimed up a little bit. I turned them off after he sad so then when I pulled away I turned them back on. Cops are rediculous.

I don't understand. Your low beams should automatically come on when it gets dark. Also, you have an 05, so your DRLs should be your parking lights/turn signals (very desirable with our vehicles).

2006-2008 Grand Prixs use the low beams for DRLs so I don't quite understand the cop. Unless you're driving with your high beams.

Weird.

i get followed all the time in my 98 GT...

I have been pulled over for tint in the GXP before thoo...

If you are talking about what are referred to as "fog lights", then I use mine all the time. But it must depend where you are. This is from Michigan's lheadlight law where it is legal:

"When a motor vehicle equipped with head lamps as required in this section is also equipped with auxiliary lamps or a spot lamp or any other lamp on the front of the motor vehicle projecting a beam of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, not more than a total of 4 of those lamps on the front of a vehicle shall be lighted at a time when upon a highway."

You should look up what it is in your area. I would not be surprised if the cop was wrong because lately, I have had a few experiences when a cop has no idea what the law is and try to ticket me because he percieves it as illegal.

I didn't use my highbeams. I am talking about the litytle 1" lights at the bottom of the bumber on a GXP. They are not that bright, plus the lenses on mine are faded making the light output even worse. I think he saw the car and was like "too nice of a car just to let it go by..." I have used them for the 5 years I have had my car when it gets dark out. At least I got a warning but I am still going to use them. If they weren't safe then why make it a factory option on the car to begin with? It's funny, driving after I get pulled over I see another cop with lights in his grills that make ours look like driving with a canlde for lights. He blinded everyone on the other side but I am sure that's ok.....

-Mike

What state are you in Mgpeagle?

How old are you? And where do you live?

I think there just F@#$*&^ with you. If you vehicle is equip with those light's you can turn them on down here. I always drive with them!!

It's even funnier because they are projectors on the GXP's so they have a perfect cutoff, HIDS work perfect in them as well. Blinding? what?

^ exactly what he said

Cops don't know what they're talking about most of the time. I was pulled over for being too loud. I told the officer I had the book at home and quoted the muffler law to him. I got a written warning, then he told me "you don't live around here so I really don't care how loud your car is." I told him, "Well it wouldn't matter if I did live here, it's perfectly legal."

lol

I held 1st to 50mph leaving and kept it there until I was out of sight.


Sometimes they just feel the need to flex their authoritarian biceps. I constantly wonder why they can't use the time they harass motorists for headlights, exhaust, and doing 5mph over to catch real criminals...

Exactly!
One of my stories really quick. My wife's GTP has a 4" strip of tint on the windshield, and dark tint on the rear doors and rear window. This is totally legal in Michigan. Last summer she was with her mom going to the mall and a cop pulled her over and tried to tell her that rear window tint is illegal in Michigan. She argued with him telling him that it was completely legal and if she wanted to spray paint her back windows black, she could. Her mom said to the cop "well i guess the windows in the back of my new Tahoe are illegal from the factory, then!" Needless to say, she just got a warning, but the cop still wouldn't admit that he was wrong. :bang:

Since then, I have printed out what the window tint laws in Michigan actually are and put them in her glovebox.

Are you lights out of adjustment?

In some places they have certain quota's to meet. Usually towards the end of the month they start pulling people over more to hopefully find something to write out a ticket or find something else. I also think they like to flex their muscle sometimes also.

And that explains why the fog lights get turned off when the high beams are on. If they stayed on, then it'd be a total of 6 lamps in front of the vehicle. While that may be a Michigan-only law, I guess it's just easier for car manufacturers to comply with all state laws for build simplicity and due to the fact that people tend to actually travel in vehicles, lol.

Thanks for that info!


Ah, so it's the fog lights! Yeah, that cop doesn't know what's going on. Blinding? lol.


Exactly! Cutoff with HIDs hitting an unmodified 2005 Nissan Sentra:

https://i53.tinypic.com/28qzy94.jpg

I live in "Nazi" Massachussetts and am 40 years old. I can't wait to move out of this crappy state! Those lights are not out of adjustment. Yeah, he was probably effing with me. I am sure these types of stories will become much more frequent with all of us in the future. Just a hunch...

-Mike

LoL, wow... LISTEN 2 MY STORY
 

how about in my previous car (ford taurus with 20's) i got a ticket for driving too slow (on a Saturday morning)... the interestn part is i was leaving a red light in the right hand lane driving up a slight hill (30 mph in a 45 mph zone)... he pulled me over asked why was i holdn up traffic... i was speechless... i went to court to fight it, the whole 1 car length per 10 mph went out the door. That was a $125 ticket and the Judge call hinmself doing me a favor not taking any points off my license. I was 22 or 23 at the time, but what 23 yr old u kno get a ticket like that when all the elder ppl on the road driving caddys, caprices, & towncars driving slow.

I love these kind of stories...there really are some police out there guys that do want to flex that muscle...a lot of it is them attempting to find a stopping charge just to investigate the vehicle and its occupants further...That's the job guys...its just part of it...I do agree that some need to brush up on their street or traffic law...I know guys i work with that literally get a kick out of using what we call "pretend authority" its a real legal term...look it up...you guys might not like what you see...but there isnt anything people can do about it...just do your best to drive safe and legal...