Carrie Alexander
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, half-ton trucks should have a lift of only 22 inches. The truck pictured exceeds those regulations.
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What's legal — what's not
Highway patrol urges care, caution when choosing aftermarket accessories
By: Carrie Alexander
Since the first car was built there have always been added accessories to personalize each vehicle. The rage used to be white wall tires but today aftermarket accessory options are endless.
Trends like aftermarket lights, window tint and truck lifts are popular with drivers of all ages. While these accessories are fun and help drivers display their unique personalities, the accessories, if not used properly, can be hazardous to everyone on the road.
Capt. Tim Hull, director of the Public Education Division for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said that many of the aftermarket options are not only illegal but also dangerous.
“Lights are one of the biggest problems I come across.” Hull said. “Different colors or candle powers can really be dangerous.”
Hull said that many people don't know that simple things like colored lights and tint can be misleading and unsafe.
“Lights on the front can only be clear and amber and lights on the back can only be red and amber,” Hull said. “I have personally seen people with turn signals in colors of green and blue and it is illegal.”
Roll bar lights have also become a problem for drivers on the road. The bright lights in roll bars or spotlights have a higher candlepower and can cause vision problems for some motorists.
“Trucks with roll bar lights or spot lights cannot drive with them turned on,” Hull said. “The candle light is just too bright for other drivers on the road.”
Tinted windows are also becoming popular and are perfectly legal when applied moderately.
“What some don't consider when applying tint is that there may already be stock tint on the windows,” Hull said. “When aftermarket tint is added to the stock tint it makes the tint darker, and it could be too dark.”
In Missouri, regardless of the county or city, window tint can be no darker than 35 percent on driver and passenger windows and no tint can be added to the windshield. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has a brochure on its Web site explaining the rules and regulations of window tint.
Another modification that is rapidly gaining popularity is truck lifts. According to Hull, the amount of lift that a truck can have varies depending on its gross vehicle weight. Heights are measured from the ground to the bumper and on a half-ton truck the maximum height can be no taller than 22 inches in the rear.
Dave Marler, owner of Performance Truck & SUV, said that he sells lift kits in his store but tells his customers up front that they can be illegal or even void the manufacturer's warranty.
“I let my customers know that lifts can be unsafe, but when they know what they want, that's what they'll buy,” Marler said. “I just encourage them to buy the best product for their vehicle.”
Marler said that chrome accessories were the hottest seller at his store.
“People need to remember that trends come and go,” Marler said. “Right now chrome is in and it's legal.”
Marler said other aftermarket alternatives that are legal are mud flaps, grill guards and vent visors.
Overall, all of the professionals wanted drivers to be safe. Hull really encouraged everyone to buckle-up. And Marler wanted drivers to have well maintained vehicles that were safe on the road, regardless of their accessories.
Hull also said that illegal aftermarket products don't just cost the consumer the purchase price but also the costs of tickets, accidents and possible court costs. He welcomed anyone with questions to visit the patrol's Website or call.
“I think anytime you make changes to your vehicle you should check it out,” Hull said. “Call us or your local patrol office. We are more than happy to let you know what's legal and what's not.”
Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached 628-6010 or carriealexander@npgco.com.
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Trends like aftermarket lights, window tint and truck lifts are popular with drivers of all ages. While these accessories are fun and help drivers display their unique personalities, the accessories, if not used properly, can be hazardous to everyone on the road.
Capt. Tim Hull, director of the Public Education Division for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said that many of the aftermarket options are not only illegal but also dangerous.
“Lights are one of the biggest problems I come across.” Hull said. “Different colors or candle powers can really be dangerous.”
Hull said that many people don't know that simple things like colored lights and tint can be misleading and unsafe.
“Lights on the front can only be clear and amber and lights on the back can only be red and amber,” Hull said. “I have personally seen people with turn signals in colors of green and blue and it is illegal.”
Roll bar lights have also become a problem for drivers on the road. The bright lights in roll bars or spotlights have a higher candlepower and can cause vision problems for some motorists.
“Trucks with roll bar lights or spot lights cannot drive with them turned on,” Hull said. “The candle light is just too bright for other drivers on the road.”
Tinted windows are also becoming popular and are perfectly legal when applied moderately.
“What some don't consider when applying tint is that there may already be stock tint on the windows,” Hull said. “When aftermarket tint is added to the stock tint it makes the tint darker, and it could be too dark.”
In Missouri, regardless of the county or city, window tint can be no darker than 35 percent on driver and passenger windows and no tint can be added to the windshield. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has a brochure on its Web site explaining the rules and regulations of window tint.
Another modification that is rapidly gaining popularity is truck lifts. According to Hull, the amount of lift that a truck can have varies depending on its gross vehicle weight. Heights are measured from the ground to the bumper and on a half-ton truck the maximum height can be no taller than 22 inches in the rear.
Dave Marler, owner of Performance Truck & SUV, said that he sells lift kits in his store but tells his customers up front that they can be illegal or even void the manufacturer's warranty.
“I let my customers know that lifts can be unsafe, but when they know what they want, that's what they'll buy,” Marler said. “I just encourage them to buy the best product for their vehicle.”
Marler said that chrome accessories were the hottest seller at his store.
“People need to remember that trends come and go,” Marler said. “Right now chrome is in and it's legal.”
Marler said other aftermarket alternatives that are legal are mud flaps, grill guards and vent visors.
Overall, all of the professionals wanted drivers to be safe. Hull really encouraged everyone to buckle-up. And Marler wanted drivers to have well maintained vehicles that were safe on the road, regardless of their accessories.
Hull also said that illegal aftermarket products don't just cost the consumer the purchase price but also the costs of tickets, accidents and possible court costs. He welcomed anyone with questions to visit the patrol's Website or call.
“I think anytime you make changes to your vehicle you should check it out,” Hull said. “Call us or your local patrol office. We are more than happy to let you know what's legal and what's not.”
Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached 628-6010 or carriealexander@npgco.com.