Non DOT euro lights and MVA...

[J.HIDALGO]

I know there are a lot of people that have the euro headlights on their MB's. However, there is a question in the back of my mind that I would like to bring to the forum's attention.

Since the euro headlights are NOT DOT approved. If you get into an accident at night, can a court find you at fault for using euro lights?
I know there is a lot of circumstances brought into a court but, just for general information, is there a possibility based on the lights alone?

[mike690003]

In my opinion, there is hardly any way that the courts could actually realize that you had Euros on your car, especially if you are in an accident! There would most likely be nothing left. Well the only reason why our euro's are "illegal" is because of the beam pattern. Euro's have a long straight beam, while the US spec is more wide and short. The Euro's can be adjusted to have a wide beam. The(ricer boy Honda) accesory company APC was fined $25 million for selling non DOT approved parts. So who knows...Maybe Bosch,Hella or Depo is next.

I won't be taking out my Euro's

[MTI]

Interesting question. A court wouldn't bring you in for having E-spec lights, but you could be failed by a really strict inspector next time you go for a safety check.

Another scenario: Plaintiff claims that an accident was caused by glare from vehicle with Euro or aftermarket lights. Plaintiff would bear the burden of proof of showing that the accident was indeed caused by the lights, but not merely because they are non-DOT, but usually in the proper aiming and placement of the lights. Clearly the defense, assuming that the lights were working properly and aimed correctly, would be that despite being non-DOT, they are actually better than DOT.

Who pays for broken E-Spec lights? Well, the typical answer is that, unless you have informed your insurer that you have aftermarket pieces on the car, your collision insurance only cover the OEM parts, including spoilers, rims, engine mods, etc. Further, check your policies to see if the carrier has to use New OEM parts or "OEM-Like" or equivalent parts, sometimes even "remanufactured" parts.