Some Fayette motorists are

driving vehicles equipped with accessory lights that are in violation

of Georgia law.

Local teens in particular are

following a metro-Atlanta trend toward adding extra lighting on vehicles

in areas such as the windshield wiper dispensers.

But if those lights are blue

and can be turned on or off, that vehicle violates Georgia law. The law

states that any vehicle equipped with a blue light that can be flashed

is in violation, said Maj. Wayne Hannah of the Fayette County Sheriff's

Department.

Officials are worried that

drivers could flash the blue lights and create the appearance of a police

vehicle attempting a traffic stop. Although drivers doing so might be

pulling pranks, such activities are against the law, Hannah warned.

"Some of them are hooked

up to the flashing (hazard) lights," Hannah said. "Others have

a separate toggle switch to turn them on and off."

Both scenarios violate the

law, Hannah said.

In the past few weeks, deputies

have pulled over approximately 10 violators, most of whom have been given

warnings and not citations, Hannah said. The discretion is left up to

the officer involved, he added.

Another common violation is

on vehicles that have smoke-colored headlight covers, which are also illegal,

Hannah said.

Replacing red reflectors on

the sides of the vehicle near the rear with clear reflectors is also a

technical violation of the law, Hannah explained. Replacing the tail light's

white bulbs with red bulbs doesn't help meet the law's guidelines, either,

Hannah said.

"They have to be SAE (Society

of Automotive Engineers) approved or it's improper to be on the vehicle,"

Hannah said.

Parents have questioned why

the specialty items are sold in stores if they are illegal, Hannah noted.

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