ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
He was recently asked if the color of your car has to match its registration, such as if you ever wrapped your car.
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“So, we see stuff like this, this is kind of the new thing. I love it, it’s really cool, it protects your car, you can change the color of it,” he said. “Sometimes, as an officer’s cruising down the road, you run that tag, that car may come back saying it’s red, but I’m seeing silver, but everything else matches up.”
Trooper Steve then turned the tables, asking himself if he would be justified in pulling over a car like that.
“Florida law says ‘No.’ Case law has come out that says ‘Look, just because the color could be different and everything else matches, that does not constitute a traffic stop,’” he said.
At the end of the day, Trooper Steve advised that if you seek to modify your vehicle, be careful and ensure that whatever you do is kept street legal.
“Now, if something else may be off, then that law enforcement officer could have probable cause — maybe the registration was off or not in the right place, or your windows were too dark — there’s always something,” he said.
If you have a traffic question for Trooper Steve, email him at asktroopersteve@wkmg.com.
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