NM/NP Pajero owners - dummy tail lights

Aside from the fact that you get the odd person saying "your tail lights aren't working" Does it really matter as long as the vehicle is legal?

It would be interesting to put forward to a court that "the tail lights were not where they 'should' have been, in the second or two I had to avoid a tailender".

Most people look at the vertcal middle third of the rear of a vehicle for stop/tail lights, regardless of whether there is a tyre in the way of one of them regardless of the size of the vehicle. We do that qiute simply because we are used to looking for the lights in that position, and it really doesnt matter about the size of the vehicle up to about the 4.5 toone truck limit. You change the lights position from the "normal" location, you change the reaction time to "find" them. It is more to do with the proportions of what we see rather than the actual sizes (compare an old BMC Mini to a Land Cruiser).

All the ADR Bulls**t about having the stop/tailights at a certain height maximum, certain maximum distance from the outside of the vehicle, and what do they find???? A centrally located high mounted stop light saves lives and prevents tailenders....Go figure. The problem is the ADR's are based on historical precedents, that on todays roads aren't really valid. The data on which the original ADR's is based I'm geuessing has never been questioned since the 1950's when most of them were first drawn up.

What a fuss over nothing. Any mitsi dealer or auto elec I suppose will wire them. The sparkie at my local dealer quoted about 30mins work.
I do agree they could be wired during manufacture.
Dean

I don't dispute the stupidity of the rules that force Mitsubishi to go to the lengths of install dummy lights and alternatives on the bumper.

Nor do I disagree that the lights where they originally were supposed to be would be much better, safer, clearer, stay clean better, etc, etc

After all, that is what car designers do for a job.

What I don't quite understand is how, if Mitsubishi cannot get ADR approval for the lights, then an individual owner would think that it is ok to use them????

Why does anyone waste their breath / brain power / money to try to change it.

Rather like why on earth do people use illegal registration plates?? (in SA they have to be the officially issued pressed metal plates. Plastic, painted, adhesive plates are all not allowed)

It is easier to comply with the law than break it but some people go to all sorts of lengths to do just that.

And then they will bitch and moan if they are defected on it.

There is no constitutional right to be an induhvidual.

And of course we can now let the thread head off down the debate on wanker lights, and spotties, and then bullbars....

Oh what have I done......

Ken

It is the same for the Patrol. The rear lights in the bumper are the ADR approved lights and MUST continue to be fully operational. However, if you wish to activate the Dummy lights in the body panels, then proper overseas ones are sourced, with the proper reflectors in them and these can be wired into the vehicle, as long as the original ones are still fully operational.

meow.

rick.

Still begs the question that if it OK for the rest of the world, why should our situation and regulations be any different?

Won't get into the rights and wrongs of whether they should work but our local auto elec easily retro activated the middle level tail and brake lights for us as well as leaving the originals in the bumper so I am legal. He reckoned I could do it but 12volt power ???? Black magic I reckon at times. And now we do feel a bit safer.
Rusty