Blue LED lights

miceal

A little story

So i was driving home within the speed limit so i was a bit bemused as too why there where flashing blue lights behind me. Also where they seemed to be stopping me is one of the most dangerous parts of my drive home.

So i pulled in, I should point out i was driving a jeep with the tyre on the back window and the car was right on top of me and couldn't see the reg plate of the car pulling me in.

Pulled in and next thing i see the car with the blue flashing lights passing me a Northern Reg 306.

So i pulled off again them messing with their indicator as to say we got you good joke wasn't it. :mad:

But the joke turned on them when the real Gardai where on the other side of the road and turned i thought sweet they will get him. But they got confused with me and them so followed me for a bit then shot out around me realizing it wasn't me.

So i was continuing on my way and then i see the gardai further on, they lost him and where turning around, i pulled in to have a word with them. They stopped and i told them what happened me and they said it was normal where i live but they didn't catch the guys doing it. (Loads of roads they could have turned off)

I wish i caught the reg plate but i was taken back a bit by this realizing i could have been car jacked.

So my Question is

Are these lights legal too put on your car?

What would happen them, i assume jail for impersonating a Garda?

santosubito

Well, section 60 of this:

http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2005/2005.pdf

outlines that you can get up to five years with Bubba for doing that.

miceal

santosubito wrote: »

Well, section 60 of this:

http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2005/2005.pdf

outlines that you can get up to five years with Bubba for doing that.

Thanks for that!

I really hope they catch them now!

60.—(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he or she—
(a) impersonates a member of the Garda Sı´ocha´ na, or
(b) makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to
suggest that he or she is such a member.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding \3,000 or
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or
both, or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding
\50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years
or both.

Tango Alpha 51

Same thing happened to me coming out of Cork City last Sunday evening except it was an English registered Citreon C5. I rang the Gardai & gave them the full index number of the car along with the colour but before the Gardai could intercept them, they turned around & drove back to Cork. I knew from the light that it wasn't genuine.

Having spoken to people in the know about this, blue lights are illegal on anything other than an emergency vehicle. I'm sure that had they being caught, they would be done for impersonation.

My point on this subject is that those of us who work in the ES are well aware of what vehicles/lighting are used by each other. Most members of the public mightn't. It makes all our jobs more difficult when mindless twats like this think it's fun & the most sinister thing about this, what happens if it's a female driver (I don't mean to be sexist) who pulls over because of these gougers & gets attacked!!!!!!!:mad:

donvito99

Annoying that these are foriegn registered cars.
Brings to light that episode of customs on RTE when Martin Rogers pulled a guy over for living in the country but having a northern reg. You can be fined up to 25000 (I think, there or there abouts) get your car seized, and once you've registered, pay 2500 to get it back.

Preset No.3

I drive a BMW X5. Worth a bob or 2. So someone comes up behind me in the dark, flashes a blue light and im supposed to just pull in and risk getting car jacked?

What if that blue flashing light turns out to be genuine and I dont stop?

Who or what is on your side if you dont pull in for the blue light? Would it be ok to call 999 and indicate that there is a car behind me with blues on?

Turner

You should really familiarise yourself with the various types of emergency service vehicles and their lights, including unmarked garda cars.

Nearly all the unmarked garda cars now have alternating headlights, side flashing blue lights and sirens and forward and rear facing led's.

Blue flashing led's without sirens i would slow down and get a good look at the unmarked car but wouldnt stop, if they really want you to stop they will put their sirens on.

Gardai are the only emergency services you have to stop for and stay stopped for.

Once again i turn to youtube for a typical unmarked car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mDKXF-naGw

donvito99

Preset No.3 wrote: »

I drive a BMW X5. Worth a bob or 2. So someone comes up behind me in the dark, flashes a blue light and im supposed to just pull in and risk getting car jacked?

What if that blue flashing light turns out to be genuine and I dont stop?

Who or what is on your side if you dont pull in for the blue light? Would it be ok to call 999 and indicate that there is a car behind me with blues on?

Just pull in anyway, 99% of the time its gonna be an EV. If not, unlucky.

Eru

Twice now I have seen cars come up and around traffic (while I sit in it) using a blue flashing light and twice I have realised too late that they were not genuine.

Before I would have and have told people to stop anyway but now I would have to say wait for an actual siren.

oneweb

Just the other evening I saw a car with a number of blue LEDs across the grill.

Your eyes see blue lights you immediately think officials. It's in the rules of the road that extra lighting is strictly regulated. Hopefully they act on all this crap before people end up putting all sorts of lights all over their cars!

djtechnics1210

Lets not forget that certain units do not have the standard blue lights... all vehicles do have sirens though. I know of a number of vehicles with light bars in grill, across back window, across top of windscreen......
if in doubt pull over, keep doors locked, put window down slightly and ask for id

Trojan911

miceal wrote: »

Pulled in and next thing i see the car with the blue flashing lights passing me a Northern Reg 306.

I wouldn't pull in unless I see blue strobes, hear the two tones & at least see some sort of high viz vest in the driver/passenger seat if it's an unmarked.

Other than that it's a call to the 999/112 services with my concerns. It's never happened to me but it may one day.

djtechnics1210

what about if its a plain clothes crew in the car.... no hi vis then?????
better off just doing as i posted if you feel unsure when stopped,,,,

Bang Bang

N3 Blanchardstown a couple of weeks ago, traffic behind me starts to part, I spot a SUV type vehicle making it's way through the traffic, blue lights behind the grill and flashing headlights. I move over to make room only to spot that the vehicle was a left hand drive displaying a Romanian registration plate.
I called it in to Garda control, don't know if anything happened afterwards.

With this type of carry on coupled with the usual idiots fitting blue lights to their cars brings me to ask, Should I continue on my journey after being flagged to stop by an unmarked car. When I eventually come to stop after realising that the car is genuine, what would your feelings be if a motorist told you they were genuinely afraid to pull over, hence the delay or reluctance to pull over?

Trojan911

djtechnics1210 wrote: »

what about if its a plain clothes crew in the car.... no hi vis then?????
better off just doing as i posted if you feel unsure when stopped,,,,

Thanks for the tip, however, if I'm unsure I will carry on. While I am talking to the emer services, they can whistle up a marked car, if they wish.

Btw, I would pull over for an unmarked with Blues & Twos, the high viz vest was just another item to look for (I should have been more specific in my last post).

yayamark

Chief--- wrote: »

Gardai are the only emergency services you have to stop for and stay stopped for.

Once again i turn to youtube for a typical unmarked car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mDKXF-naGw

You must stop for Customs as well Chief.

Eru

Bang Bang wrote: »

N3 Blanchardstown a couple of weeks ago, traffic behind me starts to part, I spot a SUV type vehicle making it's way through the traffic, blue lights behind the grill and flashing headlights. I move over to make room only to spot that the vehicle was a left hand drive displaying a Romanian registration plate.
I called it in to Garda control, don't know if anything happened afterwards.

With this type of carry on coupled with the usual idiots fitting blue lights to their cars brings me to ask, Should I continue on my journey after being flagged to stop by an unmarked car. When I eventually come to stop after realising that the car is genuine, what would your feelings be if a motorist told you they were genuinely afraid to pull over, hence the delay or reluctance to pull over?

I agree, next time get the cars reg and pass it on so at least theres a record and if he gets stopped at a checkpoint or whatever the Gardai dealing will know.

Trojan911 wrote: »

if I'm unsure I will carry on. While I am talking to the emer services, they can whistle up a marked car, if they wish.

Or they could just arrest you.

djtechnics1210

Trojan911 wrote: »

Thanks for the tip, however, if I'm unsure I will carry on. While I am talking to the emer services, they can whistle up a marked car, if they wish.

Ya could do all that but your taking a big risk as you could well be charged for failure to stop and risk having to go to court.

Trojan911

djtechnics1210 wrote: »

Ya could do all that but your taking a big risk as you could well be charged for failure to stop and risk having to go to court.

I hear you, however, as the saying goes "I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six" but I'm sure it wouldn't be as drastic as that.

I would weigh it up, using my experience, if the time ever comes.

Cheers.