License plate lighting + reflector

[mayorofnow]

I'm fabricating license plate frames for the friends that I ride with. I'm curious about which laws I need to be wary of; I'd hate to gift my friends with tickets.

How concerned do I need to be about casting shadows on the license plate at night? If the plate number and registration year are fully visible, but there's a shadow cast on part of the month and part of CAL, do you think that will engender a problem?

Either the taillamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear license plate during darkness and render it clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet to the rear.

It also seems my dealer removed the rear red reflector to install his own license plate frame. It hasn't caused a problem in the 2000 miles I've ridden, but it does look like there's a requirement for them. Is there any reason for concern?

Every vehicle subject to registration under this code shall at all times be equipped with red reflectors mounted on the rear as follows:

(a) Every vehicle shall be equipped with at least one reflector so maintained as to be plainly visible at night from all distances within 350 to 100 feet from the vehicle when directly in front of the lawful upper headlamp beams.

I've got a massive red taillight. Removing the reflector to accommodate a plate frame seems to be a common mod:


youtu.be/9vYAGleWPhE

 

[berth]

Does the taillight lens work as a reflector also?

 

[mayorofnow]

I've been wondering that too. Maybe one of these nights I can test it.

It's hard to find rear photos of the American variant of old models, but I don't see any reflectors on these 2019s: 1 2 3

But if the taillight counts as a reflector, that does make me wonder why they'd bother adding a reflector to the 2020.

 

[bojangle]

It doesn't count as a reflector, but sometimes reflectors are built into tail lights. You should be able to tell just by looking at them. Many don't have reflectors built into them, and in those cases, the vehicle code requires a separate one.

The license plate has to be clearly visible. I doubt a shadow would cause a problem. If it was something drastic, which I'm not picturing, I suppose an officer could try to claim it wasn't "clearly" visible. But I'm doubting it would be an issue.

 

[orbframe]

Never have I ever issued a reflector ticket to a car/moto....

 

[MR662]

There are many things we can cite for , but don’t. In your case, as long as you get the plate lit so that it’s visible at night, I doubt there will be a problem. Still just remember that if you or your buddies are out riding in say an area like Hwy 9 and they’re having issues with speeding and collisions, the CHP is often pulling people over for any violation to deter the crowds and slow everyone down. So not having a red reflector could be a reason to be stopped/cited for the correctable violation

 

[mayorofnow]

Sounds like it's most probably fine, but there's always a small risk that an officer could make a problem out of it, which is about what I expected.

I looked at my taillight lens, and I don't think it has a built-in reflector. Weird that there doesn't seem to have been a reflector at all on pre-2020 models.

Thanks friends!

 

[bojangle]

Sounds like it's most probably fine, but there's always a small risk that an officer could make a problem out of it, which is about what I expected.

I looked at my taillight lens, and I don't think it has a built-in reflector. Weird that there doesn't seem to have been a reflector at all on pre-2020 models.

Thanks friends!

I'm sure they had one out of the factory. It could be that older models had them built into the tail light. Maybe they changed the light on the 2020 model to make it look more modern or something, so they had to add a separate reflector.

But yeah, like orbframe, I've never issued a ticket for a reflector violation.

 

[Enchanter]

I've been wondering that too. Maybe one of these nights I can test it.

It's hard to find rear photos of the American variant of old models, but I don't see any reflectors on these 2019s: 1 2 3

But if the taillight counts as a reflector, that does make me wonder why they'd bother adding a reflector to the 2020.

A taillight is not a reflector in and of itself.

The reflector is integrated into the tail light on the models you listed. If you search for "2019 Vespa GTS Super 300 Supersport taillight" you will find multiple images that clearly show the 'reflector' in the center of the taillight lens.

It appears that Vespa removed the reflector from the lens of the model in the video you attached, and that is why they added the (Federally required) reflector as an additional piece.