Feds deem APC lights illegal

Feds deem APC lights illegal

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APC = A Piece of Crap

Reflectors are stupid... If you REALLY can't see a car at night with your headlights on parked on the side of the street you shouldn't be driving.

Let me guess, you have a set of these APC lights on your car, or took out your reflectors. :roll:

Its not just a matter of seeing 5000 pounds of metal, but how far away you see it. Why? so you have more time to avoid it and other obstacles, especially in bad (foggy, wet, snowy) weather. Its moreso important at night, as many drivers aren't as alert then as during the day. Also, since there is less traffic at night and dinner is getting cold, its natural to drive a little faster, hence increased stopping distance and reduced maneuverability.

Those reflectors were put there for a reason. May I suggest attending driving school or even a book from your local DMV, for more info on safety and collision avoidance? :roll:

Um, how about you go to my cardomain site before you assume.

My reflectors are all there, and my lights will probably stay stock for the life of the car.

Most taillights reflect enough light out of them when you pull up behind the vehicle from 100ft or so away that you don't need the reflectors. Yes, i UNDERSTAND the whole distance of sights = distance of avoidance. But the same is true for the front taillights.

What I'm saying, is that amber side markers in the front are ugly, and in 99% of cases with accidents, I'm sure it's safe to say they've never saved anyone's life.

And at night people drive the same speed if not slower as they do during the day. Mainly because reduced visual distance = reduced ability to see if the cops are clocking you.

Don't suggest a driving school or a book from the DMV. I'm 19, had one accident that was 100% the other peson's fault and 100% unavoidable. I've had 0 speeding tickets or warnings. I've never been in any other accident or hit anything else with a vehicle besides the 50 billion bugs during the summer.

So you tone of post was completly unnessacary.

lol

ouch

AND I took my front orange reflectors out and am 25. Been driving for 10 years. NOT ONE accident, only one ticket ( I fought it and won though so it doesnt count) and have a perfect record!

WebMasta33,

Reflectors are regulated to be viewed at a distance as far as 250 ft. Although it is ultimately your choice to risk damage to your car and loosing insurance money in case something bad happens by taking out safety components from your car, claiming a product complies with DOT regulations as-is when it doesn’t is misleading, unethical and blatantly illegal.

Reflectors are designed to be used when there is no light being transmitted from the vehicle ie. when the car is off and parked on the street, in a parking lot, underground tunnel, whatever.

The article deals with tail and HID lights, but since you want to discuss the orange reflector as well, I’ll bite. The orange reflectors near the front are corner reflectors, meaning they will reflect back from the sides, and not necessarily head-on, hence helping to avoid a t-bone collision while parked. That 1% possibility you mention is enough, especially to the insurance industry that pay for the repair of vehicles. That’s right; lives are not the only thing the industry has to look after. (Money is another.) If you don’t like the reflector there, you can get one from the auto parts store and stick it on your bumper, like the Lexus, and not get into trouble with the police or insurance in case something happens.

It seems by the style of your post that you have some learning to do yet on safety, and from that “one accident that was 100% the other peson's fault and 100% unavoidable,” learn defensive driving. There’s nothing wrong with education, even when it comes to driving, so don’t feel ashamed. You have your whole life ahead of you. Let’s make sure you live it.

Hypothetical situation:

You're driving on a road. No shoulder, no middle lane. Just your average road.

You see car stopped at stop sign at an access to the road you're on. This road is at a 90 degree angle to the one you're on. You're driving the posted 45 mph speed limit.

The car pulls out in front of you with about 25ft for you to react.

Tell me, when my physic ability should have been tuned to her head? I reacted fast enough to see no one was in oncoming traffic and to crank the wheel to the left hard to put the side of the vehicle with no passengers towards the unavoidable. I realized that much, but I could neither stop nor turn fast enough to avoid it. The other ladies insurance company said she was completly at fault, the cop said I couldn't have avoided it.

Besides...when did I ever say I wanted to remove mine? you keep assuming that I want mine off the car, or that I'd go to the effort to do so. I don't like them, yes, I think they're ugly and unnessacary.

Do I understand the triangular hexagonal pattern of the sidemarkers to facet and reflect light in a multitude of directions, yes.

Do I think that by one's headlights shineing into the brake lite housing or the headlight housing provides enough light to notice a car, yes.

Do I think that there being a 1 - 3 ton 50 - 100 cubic foot vehicle sitting on the road is a little more than obvious to the average driver even in the pitch black of a coutry night on a dusty dirt road when you're driving by? It's safe to say I would assume so; but I apprarently cut people too much credit to the obvious.

Rightly or wrongly I disagree with the validity of reflectors in most cases. But arguing is worthless. You decide to make attacks on my apperntly uneducated self, who being young knows nothing about the world ect... I haven't lived, and therefore should just have my opionion stifled. And you're right, there is nothing wrong with education, that's why I'm in my Jr. year of my 5 year Masters in Structural Engineering. I'm not stupid, I just don't agree. Just accept it.

Ok, so this is probably incredibly obvious, but I don't have a clue...what are APC lights? Getting the idea has to do something with the corners...

APC makes car parts that most ppl think is "Rice" a lot of looks type products. They make altezza lights and corner lights. None for our car yet, but they do make a lot and have made a lot of money off it. SO now they are big enough that they are the target of legal issues.

aaah...a new wrinkle in the brain unit. Domo!

A LOT of yungin's rides here have Altezzas in the rears...so it ain't no big deal anymore.

But cops being cops, any excuse to pull a kid over...

ie douitashimashite

The altezza's are suposed to be legal though. they usually have reflectors in them. Its the clears that the cops had the big problems with. I prefer them over the tezza's though.

Actually APC does make rear lights for our cars...

But I generally tend to want to shy away from their products. They have SOME good stuff... but the good majority of what they sell is crap.

3157 Bulbs

The only APC thing I just recently bought was the side marker lights I wanted to replace with the orange types. I bought the APC Super Whites...looks good to me, Couldn't find any other brand up here in Toronto, Canada. Hope at least APC bulbs are okay.