I thought it might be a good idea to centralize all the info from different states/countries about things of a legal nature that would pertain to us Eco Modders for anyone who might be concerned about any repercussions (i.e. removing mirrors for reduced drag, removing lights for lower draw on the alternator, engine-off-coasting, etc.). I had always worried in the back of my head that something I did to eco-mod my car would land me a nice ticket, so it would be nice to know ahead of time the legality of what I'm planning. I'm hoping this will quell some myths about laws, or inform someone of the consequences of their actions
I had the chance to speak with a nice State Trooper early this morning (as he was seizing my Civic
) and I asked him about the mirror laws and taillight laws in IL. I don't know how accurate this is, so if you have more info, or info pertaining to your area, please post it.
Basically he told me that you only need 1 (ONE!) working taillight to be legal in IL, due to the fact that some older cars only came with a single taillight (1920s-1930s??). He said you can have all your brake lights burnt out, but as long as you have just one brake light you're good.
Secondly, he told me that you only need one mirror to be legal, and I had mentioned people removing their side mirrors for better aerodynamics, and he said as long as you just have one rear facing mirror (he pointed at the inside rearview mirror) that you are good to go. So I guess IL is a pretty aero-friendly state
Also, if you don't already know, it is ILLEGAL to have your front side windows tinted in IL. That's not just dark tint, it means no tint whatsoever! So if you're tinting your windows to keep your car cooler in the summer, and use less AC, keep that in mind. Although I've had friends who have had tinted windows for years and never had a hassle, and friends who have had to pull their tint off after 2 days. The cops seem to be pretty random about how often they pursue this. However, any other window on the car has no limit. You can spray paint your rear windows black if you really wanted to, and still be legal.
It is also illegal to drive without a front license plate mounted on the front of your vehicle (bumper) in IL. I've been pulled over for this on more than one occasion, but some officers are rather forgiving, and wont give you a hard time for not having one, or having one in the windshield instead. Again, this seems to be a pretty random thing as to how often the police actually enforce it, so it's your risk, but it is illegal.
What else? More input for other eco-mods or from other towns/counties/states/countries would be awesome!