Preserved Emergency Vehicles

one2one

Whats your opinion on them?

Do you believe it should be allowed for a member of the public to drive a marked ES vehicle with blues etc, even though its out of service and old.

I've seen some preserved Fire Engines and Ambulances and some of them could be mistaken for official vehicles. Whats your opinions please.

Delancey

Cant see what harm an old Ford Prefect or Zodiac with Garda markings can do - I know some guards complain about old patrol cars but they haven't been reduced to driving cars that went out of production 30 years ago so I can't see the public getting confused or mis-led , can you ?

So long as Blues are not mis-used no harm done

Hooch

delancey42 wrote: »

Cant see what harm an old Ford Prefect or Zodiac with Garda markings can do - I know some guards complain about old patrol cars but they haven't been reduced to driving cars that went out of production 30 years ago so I can't see the public getting confused or mis-led , can you ?

So long as Blues are not mis-used no harm done

Yes....alot of Americans still think we go around in a horse and cart (like DW)

Yes preserved patrol cars should be allowed.....but not driven in a public place. Car transporter only.

Driving a marked vehicle with Garda on it constitutes impersonating a member of AGS......there is no offence for fire service ort ambo.

civdef

One solution is for blues and markings to be covered over when on the public road (something that's generally done in the UK even when civilian mechanics are testing vehicles).

Plastic covers can go over the lights and magnetic signs can cover logos. The owners can then remove them at the show site.

"Vintage" fire engines can be a bit awkward, some enthusiasts buy appliances straight off the run at auction, and in some cases they can be newer than appliances still in service! Generally the enthusiasts are well behaved, but occasionally difficulties have arise, especially when the livery has only barely changed.

Not quite the same, but there's some guy in the west of Ireland (I think?) with an NYPD car isn't there? Working sirens, lightbar, P.A. system, etc.?

Obviously no one is going to confuse "GARDA" with "NYPD" or anything, but would there be any issues there? Provided he isn't tearing down the motorway with his siren blaring, he's well within the law to do as he pleases is he not?

Is there something about vintage or collector cars; they're allowed have their lights and such intact?

Delancey

Interestingly enough and echoing NGA's comments about vintage Police cars being on transporters - today I saw a British Vauxhall Senator Traffic Car with full colours and light bar - on a trailer being towed

Leo Demidov

The company that had the security contract for the construction of the M9 from kilkenny to waterford have a state trooper/sheriff? type car with an advertising trailer attached, parked up on the roundabout as you enter the motorway from kilkenny. You'd have to be a gob****e to think it was a garda car, but it does get your attention.

starin out the window

I think civdef has hit the nail on the head logo's and lights should be covered to avoid confusion.
Sirens should never be used on the road unless it is an emergency and there is a trained driver controling the vechile, so by that logic the entusiasts should have no problem covering the roof rack

Mr. Bean.

I disagree with the practice of covering up a preserved emergency vehicles' livery. To most people, it would appear quite obvious that a vehicle was in service. For example, modern garda cars don't have a big revolving circular blue light on top of a white plastic "Garda" box. It is fine to have vehicle markings, lights & sirens on a vehicle unless they are being misused and I believe there aren't many cases of that. Even if in the unlikely event that a member of the public does become confused, it only should be a cause for concern if the vehicle in question is no longer in service but acting like it is.
I'm not sure what the legal position is here, but in the UK, the act of having blue lights is illegal and strictly speaking, prohibited. But in most cases, preserved vehicles are "turned a blind eye" and get away with it because of there special status. Basically, don't act a clown and you won't get in trouble.

The topic was brought on a petition to the UK government:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17887

PrimalTherapy

Deleted User wrote: »

Not quite the same, but there's some guy in the west of Ireland (I think?) with an NYPD car isn't there? Working sirens, lightbar, P.A. system, etc.?

pic?

tommyhaas

Deleted User wrote: »

Obviously no one is going to confuse "GARDA" with "NYPD" or anything, but would there be any issues there? Provided he isn't tearing down the motorway with his siren blaring, he's well within the law to do as he pleases is he not?

Anyone confusing a Garda car with an NYPD car deserves everything they get

nice guy always wrote: »

Driving a marked vehicle with Garda on it constitutes impersonating a member of AGS......there is no offence for fire service ort ambo.

Would that be because Garda cars are only manned by garda, while a van with ambulance might not necessarily be a proper ambulance, but one of these private patient transfer ambulances or the order of malta etc