Clear tail lights, APC busted

[XJguy]

I think they got off very light (pun intentional).

Sent to me:

"The Feds just busted APC for selling illegal clear taillights, and fined
the company $650,000. It's difficult to understand why the fine was so
low; legally the penalties are up to $5,000 per violation (one taillamp =
one violation) up to a max of $8,000,000. Even if you figure a
per-violation fine of less than $5,000, the text of the news release
(below) makes it sound as if APC was punished only for *some* of their
illegal and dangerous products."

Actual article:

http://tinyurl.com/c76i

XJguy

[ChiXJeff]

I've been waiting for this..........

And I'd love to see the knuckleheads with obscured lights (smoked Plexiglass, vinyl cutouts, etc.) fined and towed as well.

[bbaker80]

I don't see how they could fine someone for selling something that is clearly marked "for offroad use only." I never really liked the things, expecially when it was sunny out and I was behind someone who thought that essentially not having brake lights is the cool thing to do, but how can the company be held liable for what consumers do? Would it be fair to fine a vehicle manufacturer every time a consumer used their personal vehicle in the comission of a crime?

[Rob Mayercik]

Originally posted by bbaker80
but how can the company be held liable for what consumers do? Would it be fair to fine a vehicle manufacturer every time a consumer used their personal vehicle in the comission of a crime?

At the risk of dragging this discussion into a totally other realm, isn't this exactly what some people are trying to do to the gun industry?

More to the point of the original post, it's interesting that they were fined. Perhaps the leniency shown was due to the fact that they only make it, and the consumers are the ones using it?

Personally, I never liked them myself. I'd also like to see people pulled over for those stupid little LED washer nozzles - seems like they're impersonating emergency personnel, IMHO.

Rob

[ChiXJeff]

bbaker80, the problem is that APC was selling stuff that was marked as certfied, when it really wasn't.

You are right though, if it's marked as "off-road only" it should be up to the buyer, and not the manufacturer. Unless of course it gets elevated to something like "an attractive nuisance."

[KY Chris]

I agree that they need to ticket the owners of the vehichles. Especially those stupid blue LEDs on the windshield washer nozzles. I thought it was illegal to have ANY blue lights on a non-emergency vehicle. I remember when it was cool to have colored "city lights" inside the reflectors of your headlights. My Jetta GLi even had sockets in the Hella lens for them, but I know a lot of people who got tickets for using them. Which they should have.

[ChiXJeff]

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today that American Products Company (APC) has agreed to pay a $650,000 civil penalty as a result of its manufacture, certification, and sale of replacement lamps that did not comply with federal safety standards.

This was taken from the link XJGuy provided. They were busted at least in part for fake certifications.

[XJguy]

They used to say for off road use only. Later on they started to have DOT markings on them..which we now know by this article was a fraud.

XJguy

[woody]

LOL I was waiting for my turn at the Advance Auto counter today, and I started perusing the Fast & Furious trinkets...they had for sale red and blue strobes. I bet those would go over well with the local constabulary!

Since blue lights give me the freakin creeps, I feel that blue lit ANYTHING in/on a moving non-emergency vehicle ought to be grounds for impoundment and potential forfiture of the offending parts.

It's a Kid thing and I probably won't ever understand

[ChiXJeff]

Originally posted by woody
LOL I was waiting for my turn at the Advance Auto counter today, and I started perusing the Fast & Furious trinkets...they had for sale red and blue strobes. I bet those would go over well with the local constabulary!

Since blue lights give me the freakin creeps, I feel that blue lit ANYTHING in/on a moving non-emergency vehicle ought to be grounds for impoundment and potential forfiture of the offending parts.

It's a Kid thing and I probably won't ever understand

Just for the record............ 12 years ago, a young lady with a blue Cavalier had painted the lenses on her fog lights with a blue tint "to match the paint." She got pulled over by a MI State Trooper and had the riot act read to her about having blue lights.

Wish that would happen just a little more frequently nowadays.

[woody]

We had a 'blue light bandit' around here 6 or 7 years ago...and I remember the Sheriff posting a letter/memo in the local paper to the effect..."We DO NOT use unmarked patrol cars for traffic stops. DO NOT stop for unmarked cars displaying blue lights...if in doubt, proceed to a well-lit populated area before stopping for unmarked patrol cars"

I bet that went over well with the NCHP who did and still use unmarked cars for traffic interdiction.

Anyway the Sherriff's Dept here now does use unmarked Crown Vicky's and Durango's.

[Eagle]

Connecticut has always used unmarked Crown Vics for state police, but they have now added Camaros, Mustangs, and Caprices to the mix. All the unmarks other than Crown Vics use special concealed flashers and tinted windows so until you've been nailed you haven't a chance of spotting it as a patrol vehicle.

Carry the cell phone and in case of doubt, drive slowly and legally while calling 9-1-1 to ask for verification and instructions.

[KY Chris]

Here in Louisville, we have unmarked Crown Vics, LTDs, Mustangs, Transmarobirds, Exploders and even a few Grand Nationals :) Scary, huh. I'd have loved to see the face on the first guy who tried to race one of those Buicks and got busted.

[Tucker]

You know the old saying... you can outrun the motor but not the Motorola.

[sidriptide]

i was pulled over by a massachusetts trooper on the mass pike driving an unmarked car with MAINE lic. plates.... sneaky bastards....