Adding extra lights to vehicles that risk temporarily blinding or restricting passing motorists is currently not illegal but will soon be, the Police Commissioner, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, has revealed. 

Fuiavailiili told Samoa Observer that the Police are planning to bring an amendment to current law that would make strapping extra lights to vehicles illegal.

"We're introducing a new amendment to the current law to make those unauthorised, because many of those you and I see everyday it's not covered under the law, which means it's not illegal, it's still legal," said the Commissioner.

"It should be illegal but nothing has been done to it."

Fuiavailiili explained that the processes to make these amendments can be lengthy but it is a necessary step into ensuring road safety for Samoa.

"So these things take time, we have to submit an amendment to the law and we have to go through proper processes and one of them is over here and when they give us the okay though Parliament and then we can enforce these laws," he said. 

"Because we can't enforce these laws that are not laws and we get in trouble.

"But there's a lot of things that needs to be corrected that I see from my personal perspective that will do based on my experience in the United States that we can do to make the streets a little bit safer for all of us and our families.

"Especially when it comes to this time of year that we do a few more things that will keep us a little bit safer."

In 2017, the Land Transport Authority issued a public statement reminding the public that fitting of additional lights on any vehicle (private or public service), whether on the front, back or both sides of your vehicle, is strictly prohibited, pursuant to Regulation 38 of the Road Traffic Regulations 1961.

"The Land Transport Authority (“LTA”) has noticed an increase in the number of vehicles with additional lighting in the form of spot lights, flood lights, Cree L.E.D. lights bar, decorative colourful L.E.D. lights and tires’ L.E.D.

"L.T.A. have assessed that in addition to being illegal, such fittings pose a very high risk to the safety for other road users," the notice reads.

"This Notice therefore serves as an official notice to all vehicle owners to remove all additional lighting immediately."

The notice stated that failure to comply with the notice will result in legal enforcement, which includes but is not limited to: Immediate removal and confiscation of lighting accessories, towing of vehicle to the L.T.A. compound, suspension of vehicle registration, and/or issuance of traffic offence notice.