Staying Legal and Safe With Modified Cars

I found this on another forum so i thought i would put it up here as its rather useful!

Anything from big exhausts to large sound systems are used to create an unique look. But it's an expensive business and before you do any modifications you'd better check out that what you're planning is legal. Staying safe and legal when modifying your car is extremely important. Although most people focus on how good their car looks, it's essential to remember that too many mods can affect the driveability of your car as well as put you on the wrong side of the law.

One of the most popular external cosmetic modifications on cars is the addition of neon lights under the chassis, commonly called underglow lights. As with anything car-related, there are a slew of laws that pertain to lighting on cars. Most jurisdictions restrict the lighting that can be placed on cars to function lights such as headlights and turn signals, while other allow for cosmetic lights under a certain wattage.
Operation
Most laws regarding motor vehicles are written in regard to operating the vehicle on the roads. While some jurisdictions have pretty strict laws regarding any modification, the general rule is that underglow lights are perfectly legal to have on if the car is parked but must be off while driving. This allows the owner to modify their car as they please and show it off, all the while maintaining the safety and limiting confusion on the roads
Colors
If your jurisdiction does allow for the use of underglow lighting, it is important to consult your local motor vehicles agency or police department as to which colors are allowed and which are not. It is a fairly safe bet that blue, red and white lights will be outlawed, as these are the colors of emergency vehicles. Displaying these colors is usually against the law even if they are on only when the car is stationary. Blinking and alternating colors are generally illegal as well.
Tickets
Getting ticketed for an illegal car modification such as underglow lighting is typically what is referred to as a "fix it" ticket. Rather than have you show up in court and pay a fine or do community service, these tickets typically allow you to simply correct the problem in an allotted period of time and provide proof of the correction. Once this is done, no fine or penalty is assessed. The ticket will still stay on your record, but it also typically don't get counted as a moving violation. While it's not legally so, think of these tickets more as code violations than something like a speeding ticket.


Tinted Windows, Safety and the Law
Tinted windows have been around in cars for a long time and there still remains some confusion as to what level of tint is legal. Often you will see cars driving around with very dark tints, yet be told that they are dangerous as they restrict proper vision from the vehicle. The law is actually relatively straight forward.

The Law states that you are not allowed to tint your windscreen or your front windows at all. Any tinting that is carried out forward of the middle of the car is illegal, however you can if you wish tint the back windows and rear windscreen to any level you choose.
The new law was brought in on Jan 1st 2004 after a serious accident between a motorbike and a car with dark tints occurred. It was concluded that the car was at fault as it was difficult to see out of the dark tints.

If you have your windows tinted at the front, you can expect to be pulled over by the police and they are fully within their rights to ask you to have it removed. Even if your tints were carried out before the law came into being, you may still need to abide by it.