Guards opinion Vs D.O.E

kbell · 05-10-2006 2:08pm #1

I was stopped by a guard checking tax insurance ect... a couple of weeks ago, all was fine and in date, and seatbelt was on, grand.
Guard then comments on my drivers door mirror which has the back cover missing(Note, mirror is not cracked or broken and works exactly as intended).
"Get that fixed before i see you again" he says.

Van was DOE'd last week and passed with flying colours without mirror cover being replaced.

Now, should i meet said guard again(he works locally), and he brings up the mirrior issue, am i within my rights to argue my point that the van is roadworthy and has the necessary certification to prove it.
Or is the guards word final??

Overheal · 05-10-2006 7:57pm

did he actually say "fixed" or "lookd at"? The latter implying that youve already done what he asked you to do.

In my opinion though, I dont think he has the authority to do so. It takes one look around our roads to see hundreds of banged up vehicles that are still driving around with damaged fenders and the like..hardly comparable to a back-panel of a mirror.

kbell · 05-10-2006 9:55pm

"Get that mirror fixed" i think were his exact words.

Overheal · 06-10-2006 5:23pm

What is the rest of this story, anyway? A speeding violation? Unless he actually wrote as part of your ticket or whatever (fix the mirror) I dont think its going to make the least bit of diff.

Victor · 07-10-2006 11:56pm

In practical terms, if you hit someone, aren't you more likely to hurt them with the casing missing, ie with exposed edges?

Overheal · 08-10-2006 3:28am

Probably....and Ive been side-swiped by a good amount of cars, to be fair...none of which involved the mirror though, just brushes of the side (and one where the b*****d ran over the whole front of my bike, but that got resolved when I reported his liscence plate

)

However, if the certification doesnt require it then technically you can get away with it I would presume.

However Victor makes an excellent moral point. While you need not have it fixed for the sake of the officer, have it fixed within the near future anyway...besides, I think car-damage is a bit unappealing anyway isnt it?

kbell · 14-10-2006 9:22am

Yeah, true.
I'll get it sorted so.

Larry David · 14-10-2006 6:40pm

What's DOE?

Victor · 15-10-2006 2:25pm

DOE = Department of Environment (Test), a test for all commercial vehicles, along the lines of the NCT.

I think its actually the Road Safety Authority are doing them now.

Guards opinion Vs D.O.E

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