COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 18, 2014) — Ohio Governor John Kasich has signed into law a bill that clarifies vehicle headlamp color.
Originally, the law had required headlights on motor vehicles in the state to display a “white light”—without defining the term, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association's (SEMA) Washington, D.C., legislative staff.
The Diamond Bar, Calif.-based trade group said a SEMA amendment was included in the amended bill, which now conforms the new law to federal standards regarding headlamp color to which all headlamps destined for on-road use must comply.
All headlamps are required to comply with the color requirements contained in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, SEMA said, noting “it is illegal for a state to enact a law that would conflict with a federal standard.”
Under the federal standards, it is possible to design a headlamp that can be perceived as having a blue tint, the association said, but which nevertheless remains within the federal boundaries that define “white.”