Drivers warned over indicator lights

Traffic authorities are cracking down on drivers who alter the colour of legally required direction indicators, warning that the modifications can create confusion on the road.

Superintendent Jeffrey Lecky, of the Traffic Enforcement under the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), said motorists who tamper with their indicators could face fines and lose the use of their vehicles.

“For motorists to avoid being deprived the use their motor vehicles and being fined, they’re advised not to tamper with the lights that are lawfully required on their vehicles, as the police will not pay a blind eye to this.”

Lecky said the practice of modifying direction indicators has become a recurring issue for traffic police, with officers encountering defective and illegally altered vehicles during daily enforcement operations.

“It’s a daily feature of our operations to have registration plates removed from defective vehicles and have those vehicles removed from the roadway across Jamaica.”

But officials say the issue goes far beyond aesthetics.

Indicator lights are a crucial part of the visual language motorists use to communicate with each other. Changing their colour or configuration can make it harder for other drivers to understand what a vehicle is about to do — potentially creating a dangerous split-second misunderstanding.

“A primary concern of PSTEB in relation to this particular breach of the law is the safety risk it poses to other road users,” he explained.

The Island Traffic Authority (ITA) backed the warning, describing indicator lights as an important communication tool between motorists.

“Changing the colour or configuration of an indicator in a manner that is inconsistent with the prescribed requirements could make the signal less recognisable or cause confusion for other road users. This may affect their ability to accurately interpret a driver’s intentions and respond appropriately, potentially increasing the risk of a collision.”

And drivers caught with non-compliant lighting may be ordered to fix the problem before being allowed back on the road.

The ITA said such defects can be identified during enforcement operations, including road spot checks, as well as during vehicle inspections at examination depots.

The authority urged motorists to resist the temptation to customise their indicators if doing so takes the vehicle outside the legal requirements.

“Motorists should not modify their indicator lights in a manner that causes the vehicle to operate outside of the requirements prescribed by law, the motorist may be in breach of the law,” the ITA said.

Lecky was unequivocal: when it comes to direction indicators, amber is the law — and changing it can put both the driver and other road users at risk.

“The law provides for only the colour of amber to be the only legal appropriate colour for use as a direction indicator on a motor vehicle. Any alteration or changing of this colour is strictly forbidden, and doing so constitutes a breach of the law,” he ended.