trailer tail lights
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,931
Likes: 12
From: SW Michigan
trailer tail lights
Guys, do we have anyone who earns their living as a traffic cop on this section of FTE ? Normally I have no need of law enforcement officers, I have guns and a big dog. 
But my wife says I can't shoot people on the freeway, even if they really need it. 
But whats the deal with the large number of trailers I seem to be seeing that have no lights on the back? And it seems all to frequently someone is trying to 'sneak' around in the dark with a light-less trailer. I have almost run into the back of several guys that were invisible until I was a few yards from the back of the trailer. Trailers are supposed to have taillights, aren't they ? I mean, from a legallity standpoint ? If any of you guys are traffic cops and could ticket a few of these guys, I for one would appreciate it. Those dark trailers are dangerous 
Well, that is my rant for the day, I feel better now. DF, @ his Dad's
But my wife says I can't shoot people on the freeway, even if they really need it. But whats the deal with the large number of trailers I seem to be seeing that have no lights on the back? And it seems all to frequently someone is trying to 'sneak' around in the dark with a light-less trailer. I have almost run into the back of several guys that were invisible until I was a few yards from the back of the trailer. Trailers are supposed to have taillights, aren't they ? I mean, from a legallity standpoint ? If any of you guys are traffic cops and could ticket a few of these guys, I for one would appreciate it. Those dark trailers are dangerous Well, that is my rant for the day, I feel better now. DF, @ his Dad's
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
People forget to plug the lights in or they forget to unplug them and rip the harness apart when dropping the trailer and never realize the lights do not work because they never do a safety inspection with the trailer hooked up.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,708
Likes: 3
From: North Dakota
Also I have found quite often that boat lights are very finiky. I've come to the point that once I get to the lake I'll unhook the lights so I don't short them out or blow up the bulbs. I have to admit I have forgotten to rehook them a couple of times before leaving, on the other hand I've forgotten to unhook them and have shorted them out in the water too and you again have no lights. One common thing I see is many people cut the ground wire or don't hook it up and unfortunatly you cann't rely on the trailor ball to always make enough contact to ground out the system and then they will work some times and not the next. Just a few observation why you see people without trailor lights.
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Yeah, forgetting the hook up the wiring harness happens, but I have seen plenty of people out there with clearly illegal lighting setups (or no lights whatsoever.) The biggest violation I see is the lack of a license plate light (this is required in GA, at least.) This is particularly true on landscape trailers where the plate is just attached to the gate with cable ties. I have heard many people say that the cops just don’t bother citing you for trailer light violations (particularly during the day,) but I would hate to have to explain to my insurance company (or the company representing the guy who rear-ended me) why I didn’t feel that it was necessary to fork over the cash for a legal lighting setup, especially if the accident resulted in injuries of fatalities that could have been prevented by a $30 kit and an hour of installation time.
