Indiana Auxiliary Lighting: Two Fog Lamps, One Driving Lamp, White or Amber to the Front

Chapter 6 of Article 9-19 is a permission list, not a general licence. Ind. Code § 9-19-6-13 allows not more than two spot lamps, and requires a lighted spot lamp to be aimed and used when approaching another vehicle so that no part of the high intensity part of the beam is directed to the left of the prolongation of the extreme left side of the vehicle or more than 100 feet ahead. Ind. Code § 9-19-6-14 allows not more than two fog lamps mounted on the front between 12 and 30 inches above the surface the vehicle stands on, aimed so that with the vehicle unloaded none of the high intensity light left of the vehicle centre projects, at 25 feet ahead, higher than 4 inches below the centre of the lamp. Fog lamps meeting that aim may be used together with lower head lamp beams. Ind. Code § 9-19-6-15 allows exactly one auxiliary passing lamp at 24 to 42 inches, and Ind. Code § 9-19-6-16 allows exactly one auxiliary driving lamp at 16 to 42 inches. Both feed into the multiple-beam requirements of Ind. Code § 9-19-6-20, whose upper beam must reveal persons and vehicles at 350 feet and whose lower beam must do so at 100 feet without striking the eyes of an approaching driver.

Colour is where most aftermarket installations fail in Indiana. Ind. Code § 9-21-7-10(a) prohibits driving or moving a vehicle on a highway with any lamp or device displaying light other than white or amber visible from directly in front of the centre of the vehicle, unless the vehicle is one this title requires or authorises to show blue, green, red, red and white, or red and blue to the front. Head lamps themselves must display white or amber under Ind. Code § 9-19-6-3(e) and sit 24 to 54 inches off the ground. At the back, Ind. Code § 9-19-6-17(d) allows a rear-mounted lighting device to display no colour but red, with three exceptions: a signal lamp may be red or amber or any shade between, the licence plate light must be white, and a back-up lamp must be white or amber. Ind. Code § 9-19-6-18 caps side cowl or fender lamps at two and running-board courtesy lamps at one per side, all white or amber without glare.

Flashing is separately controlled. Ind. Code § 9-21-7-11 forbids a vehicle to display flashing lights except on an authorised emergency vehicle, a school bus, snow-removal equipment, to indicate a right or left turn, to indicate a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing, or on a vehicle in a funeral procession. The traffic-hazard case is the one open to an ordinary driver, and Ind. Code § 9-19-6-19 sets its specification: warning lamps must be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, must flash white or amber to the front and amber or red to the rear, and must be visible from 500 feet at night. Beyond the named lamp types, Ind. Code § 9-21-7-4(b) catches high-output aftermarket lighting generally: any lamp projecting a beam greater than 300 candlepower, other than head lamps, spot lamps, auxiliary lamps, flashing turn signals, emergency warning lamps and school bus warning lamps, must be aimed so that no part of the high intensity beam strikes the roadway more than 75 feet from the vehicle.

Two colours are effectively locked. Ind. Code § 9-19-14-5.5(a) says a vehicle not described in Ind. Code § 9-19-14-2 or § 9-19-14-5, that is, anything other than an authorised emergency vehicle or a police vehicle, may not display a red and white lamp or a red and blue lamp, and subsection (b) requires an unauthorised owner to remove such a lamp immediately. Only funeral procession vehicles and marked funeral escort vehicles are carved out, and a funeral escort may show only red and white, red, or amber. Green is reserved by Ind. Code § 9-19-14.5-1 for the private vehicle of an emergency medical responder travelling in the line of duty, limited to two roof-mounted flashing or revolving green lights of at least 50 candlepower.

Violating the equipment chapter is a Class C infraction under Ind. Code § 9-19-6-24(b), and violating the operating chapter is a Class C infraction under Ind. Code § 9-21-7-13. Either carries a judgment of up to $500 under Ind. Code § 34-28-5-4(c). Ind. Code § 9-19-1-4 makes it the driver's violation to operate a vehicle not equipped in compliance with Article 19, and Ind. Code § 9-19-1-5 makes it the owner's violation to cause or knowingly permit that vehicle to be moved on a highway, so a lamp fitted by someone else does not shift the exposure.

Unauthorised red and white or red and blue lamps are handled far more severely: failing to remove them under Ind. 5(b), or a funeral escort vehicle exceeding red and white, red or amber under subsection (c), is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable under Ind. Code § 35-50-3-4 by up to 60 days imprisonment and a fine of up to $500. Ind. 5(e) both disapply the penalty to an owner or operator whose vehicle is equipped as required under United States Department of Transportation regulations.