My seven-year-old son asked me to put some purple glow under my Prius. Can anyone suggest a lighting kit that I could install?
eBay? 4pc Wireless Purple LED Neon Under Car Lights Underglow Kit | eBay Most of them look universal and wirelessly activated
I hate to be a jerk but let me Google that for you. I'm not aware of any kits that are car specific. Beyond that please do not put under-car lighting on your car. Not only is it horribly tacky but in many places it's illegal. Even if it is legal where you leave you might find yourself on a road trip in a place where it is. You should instead use purple interior lamps. LEDs might even be available ... heck I've even seen UV interior LEDs ... purple and it makes stuff glow.
Pretty interesting that your 7 yr old son is asking to do this to YOUR car. When I was 7, I was outside building forts and shooting things with my BB gun. Are you sure that your "7 yr old" son's name isn't on the title of the car? j/k Honestly there isn't ANY specific kit for ANY specific car. It all depends on the look your going for. Some LED under-car light kits look crappy because the lights are too far apart leaving gaps in the light pattern or each light doesn't have a proper defuser. Back in the day I had a kit on my 2nd car I ever owned. I used the actual neon tube lighting. Worked great for about a year before they shorted out. If this is really the route you want to take your car. I'd hope you can see the light pattern on the ground before you buy like on a display or of the sort. Buying lights online is a crap shot unless you can find some good reviews.
1. Thanks for the search tip. I realize there are a lot of kits out there and was hoping someone had installed one on a Prius that had worked well. 2. Any kit I installed would have a switch. If I was in a place where it was illegal I would keep it off. 3. As for tacky. That's in the eye of the beholder. To my son it will be cool. It's not like I can't remove it after a couple of weeks/months. Yes, my seven-year-old who goes to a gifted STEM program and loves cars and trucks did very well on a project for school and asked me to do this. I think I'd prefer him wanting to help me put some lights on a car rather than running around with a BB gun. My desire in this case is to bring my son a little happiness and fun. Thanks...that's some solid advice. I really do appreciate it. That's where I started looking...I guess I'll just pick one and see what happens.
Thanks. They're legal in Florida and I have little care of what anyone except my family thinks about my car. I'm hoping it turns out to be a fun project.
I am supporting him. He thinks it's legal when in fact the laws pertaining to vehicle lighting in Florida (Florida statutes 316.2397 and 316.224 and 316.241 and 316.235) state. "Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one running board courtesy lamp on each side thereof which shall emit a white or amber light without glare." The fact is this and other parts of Florida State law can easily be interpreted to mean under body lights are illegal, especially while operating the car.
1. I'm an attorney. I've been practicing for over 25 years and I'm relatively adept at reading a statute. 2. You have misinterpreted the law. I read the pertinent statutes. I also called Florida's DMV. There are limitations as to the type, color and location of the lights, but simple purple LEDS as are sold in many stores down here are legal. A person at DMV gave me the name of a store that carries them near me. In this case DMV has proven to be more helpful and quite a bit more friendly than Priuschat.com's membership... You did render some help, and for that I was thankful. For some reason you also came across as less than friendly. I'm not sure why you would do that...especially since you were trying to be helpful. Some of the others here were not at all helpful and rather nasty. Eventually, those types of responses will cause people not to post or join and this forum like so many others will fade away. It's a shame because over the eight years I've been a member there has been some great information and support that doesn't appear to be the casey any longer.
Please read this blurb on the Orlando Police Department's website. I have a personal friend that has been cited for under body lights, attempted to fight it in court, and was promptly instructed by the judge in a bench trial that case law was solidly established on the subject. He of course lost. I understand you're an attorney but unless you're in this field I would highly suggest you look a bit more into it.
Thanks, I'll take it under advisement. Here's something that should put you at ease. Unless the vehicle displays a blue or amber light which is prohibited by section 316.2397, F.S., or a red light visible from the front which is prohibited by the same statute, neon lights mounted on the undercarriage of a vehicle are not prohibited by Florida law. Your inquiry concerns the legality of neon lights, which are installed underneath a motor vehicle. This legal opinion does not address lights which are mounted on the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle, which would be subject to specific sections of chapter 316, F.S.; see, for example, sections 316.220, 316.221, and 316.224. Also, it should be noted that the neon lights do not flash. If these lights were flashing, they would be prohibited by section 316.2397(6). No statute expressly prohibits installing lights underneath a motor vehicle. However, the display of a blue light by any vehicle other than a police vehicle is prohibited by section 316.2397(2). Also, no vehicle is authorized to display a red light, which is visible from the front, unless the vehicle meets the exceptions delineated in section 316.3297(3), such as fire department vehicles. Only certain vehicles noted in section 316.2397, including road service vehicles in operation, vehicles, which escort over-dimens ioned (wide-load) equipment, material or buildings, and wreckers, may display further, amber lights. For a complete list of authorized vehicles, which may display red, blue, or amber lights, please refer to section 316.2397. Thus, if a blue or amber light were visible from a vehicle, which does not meet one of the exceptions provided by law, the display of such light would be prohibited by section 316.2397. Similarly, if a vehicle displays a red light, which is visible from the front, a violation of the same statute is committed. The fact that the light is mounted underneath the vehicle is not a stated defense or exception recognized by section 316.2397. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles classify this offense as a nonmoving infraction for which no points are assessed. It should be pointed out that sections 316.216 or 316.24 do not require the Department. To approve the neon lights prior to installation underneath a vehicle. Section 316.216, authorizes the Department to approve or disapprove lighting devices and to issue and enforce regulations concerning installation, adjustment, and aiming of these devices. The regulations shall be consistent with standards and specifications of the society of automotive engineers that are applicable to such equipment. No such standards have been promulgated by the society of automotive engineers and the Department has no independent guidelines to determine whether neon- lights should be approved prior to use. Although the Department has the discretion to approve such devices, without standards to follow, the Department would be required to examine each individual device to determine if it should be used and the manner in which it should be installed. Thus, I recommend against any independent review by the Department of neon lighting devices prior to sale or installation. Although the Departm ent is required by sections 316.216(2) and 316.241 to approve certain lighting devices, these devices must be required for use on motor vehicles by chapter 316. Neon lights are not required for use on motor vehicles by any provision of chapter 316. Also, section 316.241 provides that headlamps, auxiliary or fog lamps, rear lamps, signal lamps and reflectors are required to be approved by the Department prior to sale. Due to the express mention in the statute of these lighting devices, which require approval prior to sale, the statute should be construed to exclude from approval those devices, which are not mentioned, such as neon lights. In conclusion, the installation of neon lights to the undercarriage of a vehicle is not necessarily a violation of Florida law. The Department is not required to approve neon lights prior to sale or installation or to establish regulations for installation, adjustment, and aiming. However, the display of red, blue, or amber lights may be a vi olation of section 316.2397. For your information, all of Florida's laws may be viewed at the following link. Online Sunshine Sincerely, Office of Public Affairs Florida Highway Patrol (850) 410-0999 fax (850) 921-4476 Official Website Florida Highway Patrol
