PORTLAND, Ore. — A KGW News viewer sent in a photo of a car with what appear to be two extra lights attached to the back.
It looks like one of the tail lights is possibly out, so it's quite possible the driver was being extra precautious -- but we wanted to Verify: Is it legal for a driver to use these extra lights?
Our source for this story is Brian Jensen with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
Viewer Sandra Jensen Fritsche spotted the car on the on-ramp to Highway 26 east from NW Jackson Road last Sunday afternoon.
"It seems to me that excessive lighting is becoming a safety issue in the area. Had this happened at night, we probably would have been essentially blinded by them," Fritsche said.
According to Jensen, these white lights cannot be posted to the rear of a car unless the vehicle is backing up.
This would be a Class C traffic violation, and the driver would face a fine of $165 in Oregon.
In Washington, the white lights would be illegal too. According to Brent Waddell with the Clark County Sheriff's Office, drivers could face a $136 fine if they're caught with those extra lights.
"There are a lot of rigs out there with excessive lighting. I’ve seen a semi with an entire front bumper of these lights, trucks with light bars on the roof, hood, and front bumper, a van with a light bar across the front grill, and even a Radio Cab with a light bar across the front!" Fritsche said.
We can Verify: Using white lights on the back of you car while driving is not legal and will likely get you fined in both Oregon and Washington.
