Anyone get ticketed for uncovered light bar?

[Ryanpktaxiderm]

Debating putting a light bar on bumper of truck for night driving on rural roads. Not planning on using on highways all. Has anyone ever ran into issues not having an opaque cover on their bar? It would be mounted just under headlight level.

Also, anti theft ideas. Thinking JB weld on bolts as mounting spot would be fairly exposed. Not gonna stop anyone with a cutoff saw but.. hope to make it harder to steal than some.

[HunterDave]

I have a light bar in my bull bar. I never heard about having to have it covered but I do know that some are legal based on brightness and others are not. It has to do with how bright the light bar is (Lumens?). Road Legal ones can be used while driving on roadways and the illegal ones can only be used in the bush. I have the brighter bush ones and just don’t use them on roadways. I can’t see why they’d have to be covered if they are not in use.

[jcrayford]

I have one on my vehicle. Got stopped once at night for driving with it on the highway. A short conversation / learning lesson and away I went.

Realized I was in the wrong to use on public roads (although it does light up the road tons) and will only use it in the bush.

Never got bothered or even stopped and questioned for having it uncovered.

And never even thought twice about some sort of anti-theft situation. It's there and could be taken if they wanted it, but I feel that the CAT would be gone first as they are worth more. Just normal nuts and bolts holding mine on.

J.

[PartTimeHunter]

I believe (in Alberta) it's in the highway traffic act that "off road" lights are required to be covered while operating on the road. That includes non diffused lens lights. I know a picker operator that had a couple of non diffused lens work lights on the end of the boom that was ticketed for this, Boom was packed (of course) driving down the road, the lights were off because they were work lights on the end of the damned boom but still had to be covered according to this officer. Also, I believe there is something about not placing off road lights above the headlights, which happens all the time, or they need to be covered while on the road.
My experience is that the truck drivers get tagged for this kind of stuff, not so much the average four wheeler Both guys that I know that have been tagged where in commercial vehicles.

[Smoky buck]

In Alberta no but I have never had one on my trucks in Alberta. I have also never had an issue in northern BC and all our work trucks had them. But I have been given a warning and remember hearing people getting ticketed in southern BC

My Cracker Jack box law degree tells me there is likely a law regarding this but many don’t enforce it

[DiabeticKripple]

Any lights under the headlights do not need to be covered as per AB legislation.

You are 100% legal to mount a light bar or fog lights under your headlights, uncovered.

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

My Cracker Jack box law degree tells me there is likely a law regarding this but many don’t enforce it

Bahahaha! They gave out lots of those on here…

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Positrac

Bahahaha! They gave out lots of those on here…

Yes but mine has my name written on it in red crayon so it’s a little more official then most

[ghostguy6]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

Any lights under the headlights do not need to be covered as per AB legislation.

You are 100% legal to mount a light bar or fog lights under your headlights, uncovered.

This but the center line of the additional lights must be below the center line of OEM headlights. I got pulled over by a sheriff once and he took a sting to measure. I was two inches below so no ticket.

There is also some sort of exemption if you have a snow plow mounted to your vehicle as the blade would block your OEM headlights. If I remember correctly the lights then must be mounted on the bracket that the blade attaches to and can not be mounted on the roof.

[Ken07AOVette]

I have always had uncovered light bars, drove through the States many times, all around Canada and never had an issue. Police are now using them on cruisers, they see the value. I use mine everywhere if there are no oncoming vehicles, the point of them is to light up the road better mainly for animals. Semi's run with LED lightbars on all the time on highways, and the odd guy driving around tows have them on I would assume accidentally. Never heard of anyone actually being ticketed for one.

[Sledhead71]

Like most things, commercial vs private have different rules and enforcement.

Commercial requires auxiliary lights to be covered while operating on Alberta highways, private do not. Very similar to cargo securement...

[TheFall]

I have never had a problem with the light bar that I had as far as tickets go, it was center bumper below the headlights.

In regards to the JB weld, when I put mine on I was not worried about it getting stolen and just put it on with bolts, with the nuts on top. The person that stole it could have literally taken a pair of pliers and loosened off the mounts in about 30 seconds. They would have had time to do that as well, the vehicle was parked in the far corner of a hay field overnight with no neighbors around. Instead they took a prybar, shoved to between the cast mount on the light and the cross bolt of the mount, broke the mounts off the light, and broke my bumper in the process, and then instead of disconnecting the wiring harness (easily accessible) they just cut the harness right in front of the harness clip... Not sure what that genius was going to do with my lightbar, but I was looking for lightbars duct taped to trucks/tractors around town for a while after that. Left all the mounting hardware and the cast tabs on my bumper and off they went.

In short, if people want to take stuff, they are going to take it, JB weld if you like, but the only thing you will be preventing is ease of removal when you need to take it off. I know a couple people that have had the same thing happen in different areas from myself.

[jhl]

there is some goofy regulation that they need to be connected to the high beam power source. no high beam no lightbar. several times over the last 15 years in rural Alberta some police/sheriffs ask how they are connected to power.

[jungleboy]

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

Agreed, always wondered what head light standards were in force these days with what you encounter on the road ? They're a hazard when it comes down to it.

Grizz

[Ryanpktaxiderm]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

I agree.. im only installing it for rural back roads in the bush. I could see the argument for using it on highway IF you are only guy on road for miles and it's 2 AM in a remote area... but that requires common sense which as we know.... so yeah. They should only be used when off highways which once I move in fall will be about 60% of my driving.

[ol whitey]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

Agreed

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

If you have a truck with electric rear window (tinted) most of them have a headrest for the middle seat, aligns perfectly with that window. Take it out, mount a 8-12" Rigid hybrid there with a pair of 7/16" 3" bolts which slide perfectly into the headrest mounts, and wire it to a switch, facing out the back of course. (you never know who is reading this). Guaranteed to stop all blinding from the rear. Plus, absolutely invisible when tinted rear window is closed.

YOU are welcome!

What about everyone driving constantly on high beam, day night doesn't matter. And speeders- but then again EVERYONE does 15 over so "if you aren't keeping with the flow of traffic.......
There are far worse things on the road than high or misaimed headlights, but people that disagree with speed laws dont care.

[JB_AOL]

Yes 100% illegal, but rarely enforced.
http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2009_122.pdf

Summary (full excerpt from the guide below)

Auxiliary Lights and Fog Lights must be SAE certified to be used on-highway
2 Auxiliary Lights may be used with high beams
2 Fog Lights may be used with low beams
A vehicle may not be equipped with more than 2 Auxiliary Lights and 2 Fog Lights
Auxiliary Lights and Fog Lights must not be used at the same time
Auxiliary lights and fog lights that are not SAE certified must be covered with opaque covers while on highways and public roads
Auxiliary driving lamps or fog lamps

42 (1) In this section,

“auxiliary driving lamp” means a SAE Standard J581 type Y lamp;
“fog lamp” means a SAE Standard J583 type F lamp.
(2) If a motor vehicle has auxiliary driving lamps or fog lamps, they must be mounted on the front of the motor vehicle and the centres of the auxiliary driving lamps or fog lamps must be lower than the centres of the headlamps.

(3) Two auxiliary driving lamps may be mounted, one on each side of the vertical centre line.

(4) Two fog lamps may be mounted, one on each side of the vertical centre line.

(5) Auxiliary driving lamps on a motor vehicle must be used only at the same time the high beams on the headlamps are used.

(6) Fog lamps on a motor vehicle must be used only at the same time the low beams on the headlamps are used.

(7) Despite subsection (6), fog lamps may be used without headlamps if the weather and road conditions make the use of headlamps disadvantageous.

(8) A person shall not drive or operate or own a motor vehicle that has a total of more than 2 auxiliary driving lamps and 2 fog lamps.

(9) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle with both auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps lit at the same time.

(10) An auxiliary driving lamp or fog lamp on an unloaded motor vehicle must be adjusted and aimed so that none of the high-intensity portion of the light to the left of centre of the vehicle projects, at a distance of 8 metres ahead, higher than 100 millimetres below the centre of the lamp from which the light is projected.

(11) Fog lamps on a motor vehicle may only emit amber or white light.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

I was going to say... The problem isn't usually so much of the brightness of lights, it is that they are not aimed properly so it shines into oncomers eyes rather than down at the road and reflected. I think if the aiming of all types of lights (fog lamps, light bars, headlights etc) on all vehicles, especially lifted trucks etc, became a target then I think there would be far less of these issues.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Yes but mine has my name written on it in red crayon so it’s a little more official then most

I got my law degree for AOU, Alberta Outdoorsmen University. I'm working on my masters in psychology now. Lots of experts on this site!



BW

[ganderblaster]

Those uncovered light bars are hell on some peoples eyes. Temporarily blinds them. Great for hunting or rural roads with no traffic but some people just don’t understand how powerful those things are. Like anything else a few idiots ruin it for everyone

[JB_AOL]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Light bars and HID headlights should be outlawed for use on any public roads imho. If I was going to install a light bar I would put it facing backwards on my vehicle for all the jackwagons that drive around with high beams, and misaligned headlights and fog lights

There should also be heavy fines for jacked up trucks where they never bothered to reset the headlight alignment after they installed the 4” lift kit that came with a free pair of white rimmed raybans .

You’re welcome .

Re:high beams... It's the stupid drl.. most drivers don't understand that the dash lights are always on nowadays, so they assume their headlights are (not drl).

Another side of that is the damn mechanics.. lol.. they always turn the lights off when working on cars and forget to turn them back to auto. I know I've driven around w/o realizing my headlights aren't on (but drl and fash lights are) after a shop visit.

[1hogfarmer]

Never heard of or had any issues myself.

Only time I’ve heard stories of guys getting in **** for having them was if they were pulled over for something else stupid.

[Jack'n]

Originally Posted by tirebob

I was going to say... The problem isn't usually so much of the brightness of lights, it is that they are not aimed properly so it shines into oncomers eyes rather than down at the road and reflected. I think if the aiming of all types of lights (fog lamps, light bars, headlights etc) on all vehicles, especially lifted trucks etc, became a target then I think there would be far less of these issues.

I agree with what your saying. Once you lift a vehicle you should have to readjust your lights accordingly. The only issue that I can see with attempting to target unaligned lights would be for those pulling trailers. I think it would be an unfair ask for anyone towing trailers to have airbags installed.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Jack'n

I agree with what your saying. Once you lift a vehicle you should have to readjust your lights accordingly. The only issue that I can see with attempting to target unaligned lights would be for those pulling trailers. I think it would be an unfair ask for anyone towing trailers to have airbags installed.

If you are going to spend the money on a travel trailer ,I think it is not too much to ask that your suspension be able to carry the load without pointing your headlights in the air.

I see it all the time , big jacked up trucks dragging a trailer or a truck camper and their front ends pointing in the air like they are about to launch . Spend $80g on a truck and $80g on a camper but can’t spend $800 on a set of helper springs and a headlight alignment

[Phil McCracken]

Originally Posted by ganderblaster

Those uncovered light bars are hell on some peoples eyes. Temporarily blinds them. Great for hunting or rural roads with no traffic but some people just don’t understand how powerful those things are. Like anything else a few idiots ruin it for everyone

I'll play Devil's Advocate here...

Last time I checked hunting after dark was illegal?...

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Phil McCracken

I'll play Devil's Advocate here...

Last time I checked hunting after dark was illegal?...

When you shoot a moose legally at last light, the lights are great for when you have to gut, skin and quarter it.

[Phil McCracken]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

When you shoot a moose legally at last light, the lights are great for when you have to gut, skin and quarter it.

I'm sure the guy that posted that "hunting" comment did not word it properly. All good...

[Sundancefisher]

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and learned I should wait until there is clear evidence and consensus on this topic before jumping in.