Everyone get rid of your smoke screens! They are illegal!

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:07 am

I was doing some vehicle law research, and came across this in the NCGS. At what point was operating a vehicle-based smoke screen enough of a problem that we had to enact legislation against it? It must have been bad because we made it a felony. I have removed the smoke screen generator from my minivan and destroyed it. I strongly encourage the rest of you to do likewise:

§ 20-136. Smoke screens.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to drive, operate, equip or be in the
possession of any automobile or other motor vehicle containing, or in any manner provided
with, a mechanical machine or device designed, used or capable of being used for the purpose
of discharging, creating or causing, in any manner, to be discharged or emitted, either from
itself or from the automobile or other motor vehicle to which attached, any unusual amount of
smoke, gas or other substance not necessary to the actual propulsion, care and keep of said
vehicle, and the possession by any person or persons of any such device, whether the same is
attached to any such motor vehicle, or detached therefrom, shall be prima facie evidence of the
guilt of such person or persons of a violation of this section.
(b) Any person or persons violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a
Class I felony. (1937, c. 407, s. 99; 1993, c. 539, s. 1257; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:39 am

Spyhunter

Michael Czeiszperger · **Joined:** Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:35 am **Posts:** 861

Apparently it is a problem in the UK:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3349431/Driver-used-homemade-James-Bond-style-smokescreen-battered-Peugeot-309-failed-bid-shake-chasing-police.html

According to the story, which is the Daily Fail, so you can view it with a healthy bit of skepticism, a guy built a smokescreen device into his car, and then tried to shake the police by emitting large amounts of smoke. He was easily tracked, however, by the police following the cloud of smoke.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:24 am

so does this apply to diesels that are "roll'n coal"?

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:47 am

Chris Halweg wrote:

Spyhunter

I was thinking about that image when I read the law, but couldn't remember the name of the game.

I'm going to assume, for the moment, that our oil slick devices are still okay.

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:27 pm

Roger McDaniels wrote:

Chris Halweg wrote:

Spyhunter

I was thinking about that image when I read the law, but couldn't remember the name of the game.

I'm going to assume, for the moment, that our oil slick devices are still okay.

My Jeep creates a constant oil and transmission fluid slick, but no smoke screen. I guess I'm still OK.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

RodneyWright wrote:

so does this apply to diesels that are "roll'n coal"?

That's been illegal for almost 2 years now.

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:51 pm

Any visible emissions that last for over 5 seconds are also illegal:

§ 20-128.1. Control of visible emissions.
(a) It shall be a violation of this Article:
(1) For any gasoline-powered motor vehicle registered and operated in this State
to emit visible air contaminants under any mode of operation for longer than
five consecutive seconds.
(2) For any diesel-powered motor vehicle registered and operated in this State to
emit for longer than five consecutive seconds under any mode of operation
visible air contaminants which are equal to or darker than the shade or
density designated as No. 1 on the Ringelmann Chart or are equal to or
darker than a shade or density of twenty percent (20%) opacity.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 1:11 pm

Roger McDaniels wrote:

Any visible emissions that last for over 5 seconds are also illegal:

§ 20-128.1. Control of visible emissions.
(a) It shall be a violation of this Article:
(1) For any gasoline-powered motor vehicle registered and operated in this State
to emit visible air contaminants under any mode of operation for longer than
five consecutive seconds.
(2) For any diesel-powered motor vehicle registered and operated in this State to
emit for longer than five consecutive seconds under any mode of operation
visible air contaminants which are equal to or darker than the shade or
density designated as No. 1 on the Ringelmann Chart or are equal to or
darker than a shade or density of twenty percent (20%) opacity.

I love to see the field test for opacity of smoke. :roll:

RickyBeam · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 3:28 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

I love to see the field test for opacity of smoke. :roll:

There are devices for that. (basically, fire a white reference light on one side of the tail pipe and measure what makes it to the other side. Not quite gas chromatography but the same principle.)

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

When did the smokescreen law go on the books? I'd guess it had something to do with moonshining.

By the 1970s, the Chevy Vega made add-on smoke screen generators obsolete.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:02 am

I was following a Diesel pickup this morning and each time he was accelerating black smoke was coming out of the exhaust.
Almost look like a smoke screen.

brettmcwhorter · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:33 pm

Why is every law written a horrible run on sentence?

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Everyone get rid of your smoke screens! They are illegal!

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