I know most people painted, removed, or replaced them with clear or smoked side markers...

I know now I am going to replace my "chromed" stealth orange bulbs with Polarg clear bulbs since I don't like the orange look at night when they are turned on still through the clear lens...

Is there an actual safety function of these bulbs? Like does Europe have wayyy more accidents than we do in the US because they don't have these huge orange side markers???

Just want to make sure my vehicle will not lose a major safety function once I replace the bulbs with clears that I am not currently aware of... I know it is illegal though in the US to not have them, right?

I'm pretty sure the laws say that the markers have to be orange or white. replacing them with clear markers and white bulbs should not be illegal, but you might want to consult your state laws.

they are useless... just extra lights.

hope i don't have to explain that to a officer.

Mandatory vehicle safety equipment for all manufacturers who sell in the U.S. is regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Before they issue a rule which mandates compliance by a manufacturer, they go through a process called "rulemaking". In that process, they issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, later a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and in some cases, eventually a rule is promulgated. During this process, NHTSA collects comment from affected parties, such as automakers and interest groups on all sides of any given issue, and individual members of the public, about the proposed rule, and they evaluate cost/benefit information about the rule. In this case, although I am not privy to the data, they would have considered quantitative information on the value (most likely measured in side impact rate reductions) of the front yellow and red rear side markers. The rule almost certainly would not have issued without substantiating data, as the GAO study and manufacturer input would have shown a negative cost/benefit relationship. This is also how we all wound up with a CHMSL (Center high mounted stop lamp)....that 3rd center brake light. If NHTSA were to act beyond the justification of the data, they would be subject to judicial review under an allegation of arbitrary and capricious action.

Once mandated content is on a vehicle at the time of manufacture, when the Federal Certification label is affixed, the role of the federal government is essentially over (unless a defect is found, for example). Then, once the vehicle is in use, states have individual regulations and laws governing how the vehicle is used within their boundries. For example, lighting regulations may not be the same in all 50 states.

Having said all that, I would suggest keeping some form of widely recognized and understood amber illumination at the front side marker to minimize the chances of the front of your car seeming to disappear to a driver approaching from 90 degrees or a more acute angle at night...regardless of how dumb you think that driver would need to be not to see you otherwise. Wrinkled sheetmetal looks worse than an amber bulb.

Holy crap, Sportstick, did you really write that, or did you copy / paste that from somewhere ? I don't think I have ever seen "promulgated" in a sentence before !

I am impressed. Thanks for the knowledge, that made my day...

Nick

I just wrote that....we have a variety of backgrounds on this forum! Thanks, and hope it was helpful

I like your avatar! Never seen you with one before.

Thanks....I may be biased, but she was the best dog who ever lived.....thought I would share a wonderful photo.

my X5 had an orange marker with no light behind it... it's just a reflector. I replaced it with clear and it looks a ton better. Too bad it's not as simple on the C300.

Sidemarkers for US market cars were first required, front and rear, in 1968 and were just reflectors at that time. Later they were illuminated. The first year for the third brakelight was 1986.

The first attempts at emission controls by the Germans was also 1968 and pitiful they were.

Sorry I couldn't work promulgated in here someplace.