Originally Posted by
spare_wheel
recognized contributor is another of those wishy washy terms that can mean just about anything. in my experience there is basically no enforcement of 3rd party vehicle lighting in the usa. as a cyclist who rides in traffic 95% of the time i am routinely blinded by idjits with absurdly bright halogen/led lights on a high truck-body vehicle (suv/light truck). imo, this is a far more pressing safety issue than a few cyclists with chinese magicshine clones.
Lighting enforcement varies a lot by state and local police. Some states have regular inspections of all licensed cars, others do essentially nothing. My local PD does some lighting enforcement, I've seen them go after lights that were mounted too high on lifted trucks, and illegal HID retrofits on cars that came with halogen. The strongest enforcement is at the manufacturer/distributor level, companies have lost millions of dollars of inventory and paid plenty in fines when Federal enforcement finds illegal modifications for sale. But with the internet, especially direct sales from overseas sellers, that's losing some of its teeth.
Local enforcement can become more of a priority if more local citizens complain.