Illegal LED lights could cost drivers their fitness – Traffic Chief

Drivers who install unauthorised LED lights on their vehicles could lose their certificate of fitness as authorities intensify efforts to tackle a growing road safety concern. Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh told the News Room that while vehicles may pass inspection with approved lighting, some owners later modify them by installing illegal high-intensity or coloured LED lights, creating a serious hazard for other road users. “The Licenses and Certifying Officer examines a vehicle before issuing the certificate of fitness. They can’t say the lights were approved one day and then the owner changes them the next,” Singh explained during a recent interview. According to Singh, drivers caught making these illegal modifications will have their certificate of fitness revoked. “If you do that, we will revoke your fitness. You will have to make the correction or adjustment, come back for a re-examination and the reissuance of the fitness,” he said. Under Guyana’s Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, unauthorised high-intensity or flashing LED light displays, colored lights (such as blue or green), and improperly positioned LED bars on private vehicles are illegal. They violate vehicle fitness regulations because their intense glare impairs oncoming drivers’ visibility. Singh told the News Room authorities are now holding Licenses and Certifying Officers accountable. He said recent action has been taken against some officers, sending a clear message that issuing fitness certificates is “serious business.” “This is a prevalent issue and it results in accidents because of the type of light which blinds motorists in oncoming traffic,” he said. He added that the Guyana Police Force is taking stronger action than ever before to address the problem. “Something had to be done that was never done before, and it is being done. So we have to address it through enforcement and the other measure with the fitness issuance,” Singh said.