I want LED tail-lights!
On the trip my wife and I just took I found during one of our stops along the way that one of my tail-light lenses had fallen off. :( I went to an RV store in Sioux Falls, SD and found a replacement t...
Forum Discussion
westend wrote:While it's good to get DOT approved lights, I've never had my tail lights inspected. Short of getting something that is just horribly and clearly wrong at a glance, I don't see it being an issue.
There are a lot of locations in the US where inspection is mandatory.
If inspection services operate your tail lights and can see the difference of lumens, you'll be getting a notice and replacing what you have.
LED tail lights have different diffusion characteristics than a filament bulb. I can usually spot a replacement LED/array and original lens from over 100' away.
I've heard of exhaust testing but never testing the lights.
Yeah, LED are easy to pick out once you know what you are looking for but other than asking to see a sticker or sales receipt that says they are DOT approved, I really doubt the average inspector could pick out the color wavelength pattern without some expensive tools. I guess it could happen but not something I would be overly concerned with.
I'm very familiar with the LED light patterns having gone thru testing and updated specs for LED traffic signals. It's really easy to put out a red LED that will absolutely blind you and still use negligible wattage.
