Less than a month left ChristmasWhen houses, shops and even the trees on the avenues begin to light up, many drivers come in Florida They also want to add a festive mood to their vehicles. But before the car is wrapped in colorful lights, the question that causes debate every year arises: Is it really legal to drive in the Sunshine State with these Christmas decorations on your car?
The request reached Trooper Steve Montiero, traffic safety expert from News 6who takes questions from Florida viewers and provides recommendations for safe driving. And this time the question pointed that out directly Christmas lights in cars.
The most important rule of the Sunshine State, the expert explained, is this Florida Statute 316.2397which states that only emergency vehicles are allowed to display lights Red, blue and white visible from the front.
The local media specialist summed it up with an illustrative example: “When you wrap the grill, the luggage rack or the bumper Lights that even remotely resemble the colors of the police or fire departmentThey could arrest him faster than Santa Claus comes down the chimney.”
Although the law provides a clear restriction on prohibited colors, this does not mean that all lights are prohibited. The expert clarified that some Christmas lights are technically legal as long as they meet three requirements:
However, Montiero clarified that even when a facility follows the rules, common sense must accompany it. “A series of flashing colors in traffic, especially at night, can be distracting enough to cause a real problem“, he remarked.
The increase in traffic typical of this time of year combined with decorations that distract other drivers can cause confusion. Montiero was direct: “Even if something is technically allowed, it can be very confusing for other drivers.”
For this reason, Your recommendation prioritizes safety over aesthetics. “Hold Get into the Christmas spirit, but use unlit decorations if you want to spruce up your vehicle. Magnets, crowns, bows, antlers, anything that will make you feel festive without any risks along the way” said.
Something similar is happening in California, where in a recent message posted on Facebook, the local Highway Patrol (CHP) He reiterated that putting up Christmas lights on vehicles traveling on public roads is a violation.
The warning is based on the Vehicle code section 25252This prevents cars that are not responsible for emergency operations from having red lights visible from the front, a sign reserved for ambulances and other priority units.
As the agency explains, these are decorations This can cause confusion among drivers and lead to risky situations.
The CHP said officers have been arrested in recent days Several vehicles were decorated in locations such as Simi Valley and Rancho Cucamonga.
They distributed images of the confiscated cars on social networks and accompanied the publication with a categorical statement: “Only emergency vehicles are allowed to use red lights at the front”.
They also emphasized that Multi-colored lights are only allowed in the Golden State in parades or on private property.
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