Interpretation ID: aiam4155
Parts Mgr.
Friendly Honda House
549 Dutchess Turnpike
Poughkeepsie
NY 12603;
Dear Mr. Pezzulich: This is in reply to your letter of April 28, 1986, to Mr. Vinson o this Office pointing out that a center high-mounted stop lamp may be obscured when a luggage rack is in use, and asking for the legal ramifications involved in such use.; Compliance with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safet Standard No. 108 *Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment*, under which such lamps are now mandatory on new passenger cars, is judged with the luggage rack in place, but not in use. We are not aware of any State restrictions on use of a luggage rack if it would interfere with the output from a center high-mounted stop lamp.; You may have noted that the lamp is placed between the rack and th deck on the rear of some cars on which racks have been installed as standard equipment, and not behind the rack in the parcel shelf area. This appears to be an effective solution to the problem posed by luggage racks.; I hope that this answers your question. Sincerely, Erika Z. Jones, Chief Counsel