Residents are fed up. The rolling LED spectacles are particularly brutal in the early morning hours when it's still dark, turning a routine commute into something resembling an interrogation scene. And the complaints aren't just aesthetic — they're raising serious safety and legality questions.
Here's the thing: these vehicles appear to be flatly illegal under California law. The California Vehicle Code is pretty clear about what lights can face where on a vehicle. Rear-facing white lights? Only for reverse. Blue lights? Reserved for emergency vehicles. The bright, multicolored LED panels plastered on these advertising trucks seemingly violate multiple sections of the code, including regulations on illuminating devices and permissible light colors.
As one Bay Area commuter pointed out, "Those digital billboards are actually brutal at 6 AM when it is still kinda dark out. I swear they get brighter every year too." Another local noted the enforcement reality: "It's illegal in California… but it's a fix-it ticket, so, you know." And therein lies the problem. When the penalty is a slap on the wrist, a multimillionaire attorney can treat traffic law like a subscription fee — just another cost of doing business.
Meanwhile, Phoong has expanded beyond ambulance-chasing ads into California politics, starring in campaign spots and backing candidates like Jane Kim for Insurance Commissioner. One SF resident captured the conflict of interest perfectly: "A massive multi-millionaire personal injury attorney supporting someone for Insurance Commissioner puts the fear of god into me. It's like an oil company voting for oil commissioner."
Let's be clear about what's happening: a wealthy attorney is using possibly illegal, safety-hazardous mobile billboards to build a brand empire and now exert political influence — and enforcement agencies are apparently just shrugging. You can report these vehicles to CHP at 1-800-TELL-CHP or file a complaint with 311, especially near intersections where light distractions pose the greatest danger.
But don't hold your breath. In a city where open-air drug markets operate with impunity, blinding commuters with illegal lights barely registers on the enforcement priority list. The system isn't broken — it just doesn't work for you.



