It's the holidays - the time of year where people decorate their homes, their trees and their mantels, but not everything should be given a festive look. It turns out that some people who decorate their car might wind up getting pulled over and fined for it.
While there is no specific law that forbids people from giving their vehicles the holiday spirit, in most states it is illegal to do anything that might impede visibility or distract other drivers, and bright or flashing Christmas lights definitely would do that. One cop told Denver's ABC7, "If you have anything on or in your vehicle that can be deemed distracting or be misinterpreted as being a turn signal or brake lights or backup lights, that would be a concern for us."
It's a feeling shared by most law enforcement officers across the country so Alex Booth, founder of WarningLights.co, advised yuletide lovers how they can safely decorate. He explained to The Mirror, "Decorating your car for Christmas can be great fun - just make sure that it doesn't turn into a distraction or irritation for others on the road. And always avoid any decorations which may obscure your view of the road, for example, those which cover part of the windscreen. Don't ever be tempted to place Christmas lights in your car as this can cause significant problems for other drivers."
Chances are good that unless you get a real Grinch of a police officer, if you got pulled over because of decorations, you'd likely be let off with just a warning, but that's not the same overseas. In the U.K., you'd be hit with a $1,200 fine. Your best bet is to just stick with decorating your car with those reindeer antlers and the red nose, or perhaps a small wreath.