Interpretation ID: aiam3767
President
LJM Associates
Inc.
22030 Lanark Street
Canoga Park
CA 91034;
Dear Mr. Mandell: This is in response to your letter of October 19, 1983, discussing lighting product that you have developed and asking for 'the approval of the DOT or at least to insure that no active disapproval would be forthcoming.'; Your device utilizes the body panel between the left and right rea lights to emphasize braking, right and left turns, hazard flashing, and backing up. Roughly, your device operates by lights spreading from the center of the panel outward, in either or both directions.; We think that there is great potential for confusion that this devic could create since it is so unlike anything seen before on a motor vehicle. In the stopping mode the driver following will see the steady light of the stop lamp at the edge of the vehicle, but also the dynamic lights of your device spreading out from the center. The same dynamic light spread is seen but is meant to indicate something entirely different when both turn signal lamps are operating simultaneously in the hazard warning mode. Thus, the potential for impairment of the required lighting equipment exists.; Generally, we do not favor any lights on the rear of a vehicle that ar not required by the Federal lighting standard.; Sincerely, Frank Berndt, Chief Counsel