The Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced Sunday it has placed a Toyota FJ Cruiser under alarm after it was observed using unauthorized rear-mounted light bars, a modification the agency deems a road safety hazard.

LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II addressed concerns raised by netizens regarding a viral video of the incident, confirming that such lights can severely affect the visibility of motorists trailing the vehicle, especially at night.

“We don’t know what was going through the mind of the owner of this vehicle to install such glaring lights. That is prohibited because it can compromise road safety, particularly at night,” Mendoza said.

“We already issued a show cause order against the registered owner of the vehicle wherein he was also advised to surrender the license of the driver using the car at the time of the incident,” he added.

Initial investigations by the LTO-Intelligence and Investigation Division, led by Renante Melitante, indicate that the rear-mounted light bars caused sudden braking among motorists who were blinded by the glare.

The investigation aims to identify the driver through the show cause order issued to the registered owner. Both the registered owner and the driver have been asked to explain why they should not face administrative charges for violating Presidential Decree No. 96 (penalized under Item II (d) of Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01) and Republic Act No. 4136, specifically Section 48 (Reckless Driving) and for being an Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle (Section 27.a).

The registered owner has also been instructed to present the vehicle for inspection, along with its original Certificate of Registration and Official Receipt.

“Failure to appear and submit the written comment/explanation as required shall be construed by this Office as a waiver of your right to be heard, and the case shall be decided based on the evidence at hand,” the show cause order said.