4.1 Required Vehicle Equipment, Lighting, Window Tint & Safety Kits

Chapter 2 of the Manual, Safety First, opens with a sobering fact: motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death of children and young adults in America, and about one in three Americans will be injured or killed in a crash. Safe driving starts with a legal, well-equipped vehicle. An instructor inspects equipment before every lesson, and a road-test examiner does the same before every test.

Required Equipment

Every passenger vehicle, including vans and pickup trucks, must have all of the following in working order:

Lighting counts

For driving in the dark, the Manual specifies:

• two approved white headlights in front;
• two approved red lights in back;
• directional signals;
• three red stop (brake) lights in back;
• a small white light above the rear license plate.

When signals or brake lights fail

If the directional signals or brake lights stop working, you must have them fixed right away. Until then you must use hand signals when turning or slowing. Hand signals are also scored on the road test. The three positions, made through the driver's window with the left arm, are:

Inspection

Every vehicle must pass an annual safety and emissions inspection. The Manual repeats the rule in the defensive driving section: passenger vehicles and motorcycles must be inspected for safety and emissions every year. Driving school vehicles must also have passed their most recent inspection.

Lights and Equipment That Are Restricted

• Spot lights. A passenger vehicle may have a spot light, but only to read signs or as an emergency light if the headlights fail. It may shine no higher than two feet above the roadway at 30 feet from the vehicle.
• Emergency lights. Flashing, rotating, oscillating or strobe lights are not allowed without an RMV permit.
• Illegal modifications. The Manual warns that some equipment and changes are illegal. The "Miscellaneous Rules of the Road" also bar bypassing or cutting out the muffler.

Window tint

Car Safety Kits

The Manual recommends, but does not legally require, carrying:

• a reflective safety vest;
• reflective warning triangles or LED flares;
• a first aid kit;
• a glass breaker tool;
• white and red cloths to tie to the vehicle during a breakdown.

For Massachusetts winters it adds winter tires, an ice scraper, jumper cables and extra warm clothing. Store the kit where you can reach it from inside the vehicle, such as the glove compartment, under the passenger seat or a dedicated storage area. In an emergency you may not be able to get to the trunk safely. The breakdown procedure in section 14.3 explains when to use each item, including where to place triangles and when to use a red cloth instead of a white one.

Roadside Help

• Highway Assistance Patrol (HAP). Operated by the MassDOT Highway Division and sponsored by MAPFRE | Commerce Insurance, HAP helps stranded drivers.
• 511. MassDOT's 511 service gives traffic, weather and construction information and takes reports of road problems, 24/7. Dial 511 from a cell phone. From a landline, call 617-986-5511 (Metro Boston), 508-499-5511 (Central Mass) or 413-754-5511 (Western Mass).

License Plates and Lights in the Defensive-Driving Checklist

Two equipment rules appear in the Manual's defensive driving section. Instructors often teach them alongside the equipment list:

• License plates must be kept clean and unobstructed, and the plate number must be visible from 60 feet at night. Registration stickers go only in the upper right corner of the plate.
• Headlights, brake lights and turn signals should be checked regularly and kept clear of dirt, snow and ice. Replace wipers that streak.

Applying It Behind the Wheel

A professional pre-lesson walk-around maps onto these rules:

1. Lights. Headlights, tail lights, all three brake lights, both directional signals and the plate light.
2. Glass and mirrors. Clean glass, intact mirrors, wipers that clear the windshield, legal tint.
3. Plate. Clean, visible and with the sticker in the upper right corner.
4. Inside. A working belt at every seat, a working horn, a driver's window that opens, an accessible parking brake and, in a school car, a working instructor brake.
5. Tires. At least 2/32 inch of tread (section 5.1).