Reflective tape

JaxDad wrote:

IAMICHABOD wrote:

RAS43 wrote:

dpgllg wrote:

JaxDad wrote:

IAMICHABOD wrote:
I put This Tape on my rear bumper,blends in nicely but when light shines on it at night it is really bright.

I’d be concerned about the mess and trouble trying to take it all back off when a LEO notices it and points out that it’s illegal.

Why is this illegal? I put the same thing on the upper corners of my previous 5th wheel and towed it for many many years through multiple states at night and never had an issue. If you look at the tractor trailers pulling box trailers many of them have this on their upper rear corners as well.

Dave

Dave is correct. This tape has been a requirement on commercial vehicles for a number of years. Even railroad cars are now included for the increased visibility at night.

This is the same exact tape that all the trailers I pulled when I was working as a OTR driver all over the country,NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.

As an example, from the California Code 25950.

"This section applies to the color of lamps and to any reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light of 0.05 candela or more per foot-candle of incident illumination. Unless provided otherwise, the color of lamps and reflectors upon a vehicle shall be as follows:

SIC

(b) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from all reflectors, visible from the rear of a vehicle, shall be red except as follows:

(1) Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1979, may show yellow to the rear.

(2) Turn signal lamps may show yellow to the rear.

(3) Front side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show yellow to the rear.

(4) Backup lamps shall show white to the rear.

(5) The rearward facing portion of a front-mounted double-faced turn signal lamp may show amber to the rear while the headlamps or parking lamps are lighted, if the intensity of the light emitted is not greater than the parking lamps and the turn signal function is not impaired.

(6) A reflector meeting the requirements of, and installed in accordance with, Section 24611 shall be red or white, or both."


BTW Sect. 24611 relates to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard regulations (49 C.F.R. 571.108) which is the standard DOT red & white conspicuity tape. Not add on stickers on a motorhome.

An OTR commercial truck is a different fish and comes under different (ICC) rules.

Well I had the white tape on previous 5th wheel and traveled through many different states at all different times of the year WHILE at night. I have had police from local to state pass me and never had any problems.

Also most of these regs are directed to lights and not reflectors and the part "Section 24611 shall be red or white, or both." says red OR white OR both so to me white is just fine.