Traveling by stretch limo may seem like the height of prudence for people going out to party, but it has hidden pitfalls.

Of course, it makes great sense for a group of friends to set up a ride ahead of time so that no one who has been drinking — or planning to — gets behind the wheel.

But many stretch limousines might be considered a kind of automotive zombie: They are former cars or sport utility vehicles that have been transformed after they leave the factory, and exist in a regulatory limbo. They usually do not have to meet arduous federal safety requirements, and they face a haphazard inspection system that varies from state to state.

“Without sufficient safety standards in place, it is nothing but a fine line between a stretch limousine and a hearse,” Thomas Spota, the former Suffolk County district attorney, said in 2016.