Are vehicle brake lights needed if the tow dolly has them?

[Pogo]

I guess many of you might think that this is a dumb question. But, as I read articles, I see conflicting information.
If a tow dolly has it's own working brake lights mounted on it's fenders, does the car on it, being towed, need to have brake lights on it also.
Or, can the toad just have it's own lights turned off while being towed on a tow dolly with brake lights?

[GOLDWINGER2]

From a legal standpoint, I don't know. I use the magnetic towing light on my toad. I got mine at Harbor Freight for 10 bucks.
J

[mikron]

IMO those $10.00 set of lights would be worth the safety even if you don't need them with dolly lights. People don't pay attention, the more lights the better.

[Senior Chief]

I would think the lights on the dolly, being at the front wheels of the towed vehicle might not be adequately visible from the rear.

[Mr_D]

It depends on state laws. Some states require lights on the rearmost portion of a load, others don't. I have my dolly lights wired into the towed, but I see they have quit working so I need to check the ground wire. Since they all quit at the same time the ground is the most likely culprit.

[TXiceman]

Most states have some ordinances regarding how far a load can extend past the clearance and stop lights. When we towed on a dolly, I had a set of magnetic lights that were on the rear of the car as well as the dolly lights. The way people drive today, I wanted as much lighting on the rear as I could get.

Ken

[Pogo]

I have read several posts that say the Harbor Freight lights have very weak magnets. So, if you go over a bump, they fall off. I wonder who has better lights.

[GOLDWINGER2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pogo I have read several posts that say the Harbor Freight lights have very weak magnets. So, if you go over a bump, they fall off. I wonder who has better lights.

They don't stick to Corvettes.
J

[GreyMountain]

Here is an easy fix if your vehicle has a Class III receiver. I bought a trailer light kit, mounted the lights on the end of a 1X4, painted the 1X4 black (or any color you want), then plug the wire into, in my case, the motorhome system. I mounted the 1X4 on a regular Class III hitch and slid it into the receiver on my vehicle. Simple solution, doesn't cost much, less than the magnetic lights, is easily stored when not in use.
GM

[Nuge]

I'd be willing to bet the cost of those lights would be cheaper than a ticket or rear end crash!!