Are ground effects illegal?

[Army-Guy]

I've been driving all over Oklahoma city, Del city, Norman, Moore, Edmond and other cities with solid non flashing or rotating green neon ground effects on my truck for almost 2 years and never been stopped. The other week I was stopped in Del City and told they were illegal but got off with a warning. I want to know are the lights illegal?

[Samuel]

I've been driving all over Oklahoma city, Del city, Norman, Moore, Edmond and other cities with solid non flashing or rotating green neon ground effects on my truck for almost 2 years and never been stopped. The other week I was stopped in Del City and told they were illegal but got off with a warning. I want to know are the lights illegal?

In LE, the bolded/redded above is called a HINT.

[Army-Guy]

I've passed probably close to 200 cops and never had an issue until that one. Thats why I was wondering.

[Kimble]

I've passed probably close to 200 cops and never had an issue until that one. Thats why I was wondering.

So you're accusing the cop that stopped you with false imprisonment?

[Army-Guy]

No. I asking the question because I've looked in the state statutes and found nothing about lights except blue and red or flashing and rotating lights. And cops are human too and everyone makes mistakes. The whole reason I'm skeptical is because of the amount of cops I've passed already. I could be wrong and they could be illegal and some cops just don't really care except that one. But that's why I want to know if they are illegal for sure.

[Kimble]

No. I asking the question because I've looked in the state statutes and found nothing about lights except blue and red or flashing and rotating lights. And cops are human too and everyone makes mistakes. The whole reason I'm skeptical is because of the amount of cops I've passed already. I could be wrong and they could be illegal and some cops just don't really care except that one. But that's why I want to know if they are illegal for sure.

Human or not, and capable of making mistakes or not, stopping someone and charging them with a violation that doesn't exist is false imprisonment. That's a pretty serious allegation to make. I haven't worked patrol/traffic in over 3 years, and never been a cop in OK, but I've heard it said before, "all things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually correct." So, what seems to be the simplest, common sense explanation: a) it's illegal and most cops didn't care to take the time to enforce the violation, but you got stopped by one that did, or b) you were falsely imprisoned for a made-up charge?

I'm not trying to be a d!ck, but this shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. If you think you were truly falsely imprisoned (which seems highly unlikely based on your story), you should be talking to an attorney, not anonomous cops on the Internet.

[CCBlueMan]

In most states, ground effect lighting is illegal while driving. You can have them on while parked but not while on the roadway. Also illegal are those stupid little lights people put on their hood where the windshield fluid comes out.

Here is the MD statute:

§ 22-219. Signal lamps and signal devices.
(a) Stoplights.- Any vehicle may be equipped with and, when required under the Maryland Vehicle Law, shall be equipped with a stop lamp or lamps on the rear of the vehicle, which:
(1) Shall display a red or amber light, or any shade of color between red and amber, visible from a distance of not less than 300 feet to the rear in normal sunlight;
(2) Shall be actuated on application of the service (foot) brake; and
(3) May, but need not, be incorporated with one or more other rear lamps.
(b) Electric turn signals - In general.- Any vehicle may be equipped with and, when required under § 22-206 (b) of this subtitle, shall be equipped with electric turn signals that indicate an intention to turn by flashing lights showing to the front and rear of a vehicle or on a combination of vehicles on the side of the vehicle or combination toward which the turn is to be made.
(c) Electric turn signals - Front lamps.- The lamps showing to the front shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and, when signaling, shall emit white or amber light, or any shade of light between white and amber.
(d) Electric turn signals - Rear lamps.- The lamps showing to the rear shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and, when signaling, shall emit a red or amber light, or any shade of color between red and amber.
(e) Electric turn signals - Visibility of signals - Vehicles 80 inches or more wide.- Turn signal lamps on vehicles 80 inches or more in overall width shall be visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet in normal sunlight.
(f) Electric turn signals - Visibility of signals - Vehicles less than 80 inches wide.- Turn signal lamps on vehicles less than 80 inches wide shall be visible at a distance of not less than 300 feet in normal sunlight.
(g) Glaring or dazzling lights.- No lamp may project a glaring or dazzling light.
(h) Incorporation in other lamps of vehicle.- Turn signal lamps may, but need not, be incorporated in other lamps on the vehicle.
[An. Code 1957, art. 661/2, § 12-219; 1977, ch. 14, § 2; 1986, ch. 472, § 1.]