Stopped by cops over tail lights

newbie1001

Hi folks,

I was stopped last night by the Guards driving through a local village. They said the reason they stopped me was that one of my tail lights was brighter than the other. Is this actually a traffic offence? I wouldn't have thought it warranted stopping someone in an unmarked Garda car - I think they may have thought I was up to something else and used it as an excuse, but I'm pretty p1ssed off about it :mad: Plenty of boy racers around at the time with terrible aftermarket HID lamps fitted spraying light all over the place and not a word being said to them!

bumper234

newbie1001 wrote: »

Hi folks,

I was stopped last night by the Guards driving through a local village. They said the reason they stopped me was that one of my tail lights was brighter than the other. Is this actually a traffic offence? I wouldn't have thought it warranted stopping someone in an unmarked Garda car - I think they may have thought I was up to something else and used it as an excuse, but I'm pretty p1ssed off about it :mad: Plenty of boy racers around at the time with terrible aftermarket HID lamps fitted spraying light all over the place and not a word being said to them!

Were you arrested and locked up for 6 hours or just mildly inconvenienced for a few minutes?

Anan1

Is one of your tail lights brighter than the other? First thing I'd be wondering is whether you have an electrical problem bringing a brake light on on one side. Either way, I wouldn't take it so personally - they're just doing the job we pay them for.

Edit: Were they rude or intimidatory about it, or were they pleasant enough?

Tabnabs

Sounds like they wanted to have a chat face to face and needed an excuse.

jimgoose

Could be worse. In Alabama the standard procedure is to be pulled over by a State Trooper in a big ol' Crown Vic. The Man With No Eyes then does the John Wayne Saunter over to you, hawks a loogie in the dust, then whacks one of your tail-lights with his daystick. Then he'll say, "You ain't a-frum around here, are ya boy. Looks like one of your tail-lights is out. Now, we can either overnight it and do this in Buttfuck County Courthouse in the morning, or we can do Court-In-The-Car, in which you place a hundred-dollar-bill in your passport, hand it to me, I hand it back (minus the bill) and we forget all about it!".

irish_goat

Having properly functioning tail lights is required by law.

You don't know if they're talking to the boy racers or not so that's totally irrelevant.

Shadow Walker

newbie1001 wrote: »

Hi folks,

I was stopped last night by the Guards driving through a local village. They said the reason they stopped me was that one of my tail lights was brighter than the other. Is this actually a traffic offence? I wouldn't have thought it warranted stopping someone in an unmarked Garda car - I think they may have thought I was up to something else and used it as an excuse, but I'm pretty p1ssed off about it :mad: Plenty of boy racers around at the time with terrible aftermarket HID lamps fitted spraying light all over the place and not a word being said to them!

Night time , problem with car lights , stopped by Guards , is that not exactly what cops are supposed to do?

One light brighter than he other can mean a problem with either the bulb or the wiring and being a tail light, it would not be immediately obvious to the driver . Or if one light is a lot brighter than the other, it could represent a hazard to vehicles travelling behind ( ever had to follow a car with its rear fog lights on)

newbie1001

It was all a bit strange I guess - they weren't very pleasant but I guess they didn't haul me out of the car and handcuff me either

My lights look ok to me BTW

newbie1001

Tabnabs wrote: »

Sounds like they wanted to have a chat face to face and needed an excuse.

Agreed.

pippip

Would your rear lights have been the same from last time you took an NCT?

Cabaal

Can't please some people,

If Gardai don't pull over cars for issues with lights etc, people bitch and moan.
If the Gardai do their job and pull over people, people still bitch and moan

Anan1

Cabaal wrote: »

Can't please some people,

If Gardai don't pull over cars for issues with lights etc, people bitch and moan.
If the Gardai do their job and pull over people, people still bitch and moan

That's because we all want other people pulled over.

jimgoose

Anan1 wrote: »

That's because we all want other people pulled over.

That's right! Paddy doesn't want fair, he wants the other fella to get it in the arse.

newbie1001

Cabaal wrote: »

Can't please some people,

If Gardai don't pull over cars for issues with lights etc, people bitch and moan.
If the Gardai do their job and pull over people, people still bitch and moan

Yeah, true enough I suppose. Better get them checked just in case.

Anan1

newbie1001 wrote: »

Yeah, true enough I suppose. Better get them checked just in case.

Reverse up to something reflective and test all the rear lights - it's something we should all get into the habit of doing anyway.

newbie1001

Anan1 wrote: »

Reverse up to something reflective and test all the rear lights - it's something we should all get into the habit of doing anyway.

Good call.

Voodoomelon

I've seen cars with brake light wattage bulbs installed as taillights, extremely annoying.

ofcork

newbie1001 wrote: »

Good call.

That's what I do in cork a garage in town has nice big glass windows perfect for the job.

dr.fuzzenstein

newbie1001 wrote: »

Hi folks,

I was stopped last night by the Guards driving through a local village. They said the reason they stopped me was that one of my tail lights was brighter than the other. Is this actually a traffic offence? I wouldn't have thought it warranted stopping someone in an unmarked Garda car - I think they may have thought I was up to something else and used it as an excuse, but I'm pretty p1ssed off about it :mad: Plenty of boy racers around at the time with terrible aftermarket HID lamps fitted spraying light all over the place and not a word being said to them!

I'm just utterly amazed the cops actually pulled someone over for something other than speed.
Must mark this in my calender.
OP, looks like they where bored and lonely and wanted someone to talk to, because otherwise I have no idea why they pulled you over.
Check the taillight and don't worry about it.

"Thank you very much for providing me with that information kind sir, I will be sure to get it checked as soon as I can"

Either you will get a smile and be on your way or you will get tore out of the car and butt searched.
Either way they're doing a job.

John_Rambo

Anan1 wrote: »

rear lights

Ah, a fellow European, hello.

Jesus.

OP it sounds like you happened upon a pair of numpties with nothing better to do.

I wouldn't let it bother you.

biko

Did you know one was brighter than the other? If not I guess it's a good thing they took the time to inform you.
It has long been my view that we should get similar laws to US where they will pull you over for bad lights. It'd take care of a lot of drivers I see every day with wonky headlights or just one light working etc.
It may not be a big deal for the person driving but it's annoying as hell for others.

Chris_Heilong

anyway, try removing the bulb and putting it on the other way round, I found on some cars if the bulb is put in wrong you get a weaker light from it.

CharlieCroker

Jesus. wrote: »

OP it sounds like you happened upon a pair of numpties with nothing better to do.

I wouldn't let it bother you.

Why were they numpties?? For doing their jobs??

Gardai can stop any vehicle anywhere in a public place, FULL STOP! No need for "probable cause" or an offence to be alleged.

That's how Gardai discover further offences, gather intelligence on criminals using vehicles etc.

The OP was stopped, everything was as it should be and he was sent on his way.

(FYI, problems with lights/wipers on and so on can also be a sign of a vehicle being hotwired, though this usually only effects older cars)

Jesus.

CharlieCroker wrote: »

Why were they numpties?? For doing their jobs??

Yep, when the level of real crime is at an unprecedented level in this Country, you have Cops pulling people over because one of their cars lights is slightly brighter than the other. You really couldn't make it up.

All we can do is take the OP's word for it and he says it was so slight he couldn't even notice it. Its a farce mate, pure and simple.

swarlb

Jesus. wrote: »

Yep, when the level of real crime is at an unprecedented level in this Country, you have Cops pulling people over because one of their cars lights is slightly brighter than the other. You really couldn't make it up.

All we can do is take the OP's word for it and he says it was so slight he couldn't even notice it. Its a farce mate, pure and simple.

Garda...."Sir, can you tell me anything about the man who attacked you"
Citizen....."Yes Garda, I can, the man who attacked me, raped my wife and burnt out my house. He drove off in that direction. One of his tail lights was brighter than the other. I sincerely hope you catch him"

Jesus.

swarlb wrote: »

Garda...."Sir, can you tell me anything about the man who attacked you"
Citizen....."Yes Garda, I can, the man who attacked me, raped my wife and burnt out my house. He drove off in that direction. One of his tail lights was brighter than the other. I sincerely hope you catch him"

So you're saying they were probably on a manhunt? Its possible I suppose.

But I would say its more likely they just decided to flex their muscles on the next car that took their fancy.

Again, we only have what the OP is telling us. He may well be omitting certain things like his Motor looks like a ricer and he was driving slowly through an empty village at half 3 in the morning. But just going on what he's told us, the likely conclusion is that the Guards in question are making a joke of their profession if this is the best they can come up with.

mcgarrett

Jesus. wrote: »

Yep, when the level of real crime is at an unprecedented level in this Country.

No it's not.

newbie1001

Didn't think my question would prompt so many responses.

Anyway, to set the record straight, I was in a bog standard, unmodified, Toyota Avensis (10 years old) which hasn't been washed in 2 years, valid NCT, motor tax, perfect tyres, insurance, at 8pm, under the speed limit. I couldn't have been more invisible if I tried (besides an over enthusiastic light bulb)

CharlieCroker

Jesus. wrote: »

Yep, when the level of real crime is at an unprecedented level in this Country, you have Cops pulling people over because one of their cars lights is slightly brighter than the other. You really couldn't make it up.

All we can do is take the OP's word for it and he says it was so slight he couldn't even notice it. Its a farce mate, pure and simple.

Yes, crime is high, especially burglaries at the moment. A lot of criminals use vehicles in the commission of crimes so guards stop vehicles that, for one reason or another, draw their attention.

Not all guards out there go out with the sole intention of ruining someone's day because they went through an orange light or were 10 kmh over the limit. Gardai do have far more duties (and are more interested) than road traffic. Unfortunately, 90% of ordinary decent people only meet gardai after being stopped in a car so think that's all they do.

Its also possible that the guards were bored and decided to stop the next car they saw but I doubt it.

ProudDUB

Jesus. wrote: »

Yep, when the level of real crime is at an unprecedented level in this Country, you have Cops pulling people over because one of their cars lights is slightly brighter than the other. You really couldn't make it up.

All we can do is take the OP's word for it and he says it was so slight he couldn't even notice it. Its a farce mate, pure and simple.

So the boys in blue should only ever pull over drivers that are guaranteed to be committing murder, armed robbery, heroin dealing, or international acts of terrorism? If they see something that may be quite minor, but could be dangerous, distracting or just bloody irritating for other drivers, they should always just let it go and, focus solely on the more glamorous stuff? Good to know.

mickdw

If one light was brighter, its a fair cop! Was that the case?
It is one of the oldest excuses when pulling someone in.

Anan1

Jesus. wrote: »

So you're saying they were probably on a manhunt? Its possible I suppose.

But I would say its more likely they just decided to flex their muscles on the next car that took their fancy.

Again, we only have what the OP is telling us. He may well be omitting certain things like his Motor looks like a ricer and he was driving slowly through an empty village at half 3 in the morning. But just going on what he's told us, the likely conclusion is that the Guards in question are making a joke of their profession if this is the best they can come up with.

I'm no blind fan of the Gardaí, but you're just not making a credible case here. One rear light brighter than the other is (and should be) a perfectly good reason to stop a car. Unless they were unprofessional in their approach to the OP then I really don't see what the problem is.

mfergus

Everyone wants the law enforced,
...just not on them!

catallus

nobody likes being pulled over, happened to myself the other day but twas grand, I knew his sister! :pac:

stock>

Maybe you had your rear fog light on or that the plastic in the spurious rear light assembly has been bleached by UV light giving a differential in red light emitted.

I do understand what happened but it was just what we all want, "the peelers were doing their job"

Spoke to a nailbender acquaintance of mine yesterday, was up in the Carlow direction and picked up 8 penalty points in six minutes,
No license to pull a trailer 2 points,
No secondary hitch, 4 points,
Broken light lens on trailer 2 points,
He has 4 points already......................

Cabaal

Jesus. wrote: »

Yep, when the level of real crime is at an unprecedented level in this Country,

Really?
unprecedented levels?

You sure? Really really sure?

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=13690
More decreased then increased overall,

Don't let silly facts get in the way of your rant against the Gardai
:rolleyes:

ianobrien

newbie1001 wrote: »

..... which hasn't been washed in 2 years, ......

OP, maybe that's the problem, rear lights that are dirty, with one being more dirty than the other, just maybe........

No Pants

Jesus. wrote: »

the level of real crime

As opposed to...
What is "real crime"?

Anan1

No Pants wrote: »

As opposed to...
What is "real crime"?

Blocking the overtaking lane.

jimgoose

No Pants wrote: »

...What is "real crime"?

Any diesel Toyota.

O.A.P

stock> wrote: »

Maybe you had your rear fog light on or that the plastic in the spurious rear light assembly has been bleached by UV light giving a differential in red light emitted.

I do understand what happened but it was just what we all want, "the peelers were doing their job"

Spoke to a nailbender acquaintance of mine yesterday, was up in the Carlow direction and picked up 8 penalty points in six minutes
No secondary hitch, 4 points,

What is this one about I have never heard of it ?

jimgoose

O.A.P wrote: »

...No secondary hitch, 4 points,

What is this one about I have never heard of it ?

Trailers between 0.75 and 3.5 tonnes have to have a secondary fail-safe coupling (usually a beefy chain or steel rope) if they don't have "breakaway" brakes.

Cabaal

No Pants wrote: »

As opposed to...
What is "real crime"?

Well there's two levels of crime,

Fake crime, which is actual crime that actually takes place and is recorded
&
Real crime, this is actually all made up by people and the term is used by people when they try and justify why the Gardai shouldn't be doing their job when it comes to motorists...instead they should be doing something else.

stock>

O.A.P wrote: »

stock> wrote: »

Spoke to a nailbender acquaintance of mine yesterday, was up in the Carlow direction and picked up 8 penalty points in six minutes
No secondary hitch, 4 points,

What is this one about I have never heard of it ?

Brake Requirements

For O1 Trailers (DGVW not exceeding 0.75 tonnes)

• O1 trailers with a single axle are not obliged to have brakes provided that their DGVW is less than half the DGVW of the towing vehicle.
• O1 trailers that have a DGVW greater than half of the DGVW weight of the towing vehicle or that have two or more axles must have brakes fitted.

For O2 Trailers (DGVW between 0.75 & 3.5 tonnes)

• All O2 trailers must also have brakes fitted. The braking system must include a parking brake.
  
• If the O2 trailer does not have an automatic breakaway device that activates its brakes should it become detached from the vehicle, then it must be fitted with a secondary coupling consisting of a chain or wire rope.

http://www.trailersforsale.ie/trailer-regulations.html

No Pants

jimgoose wrote: »

Trailers between 0.75 and 3.5 tonnes have to have a secondary fail-safe coupling (usually a beefy chain or steel rope) if they don't have "breakaway" brakes.

I did not know that.

That's my learning over for the day, shall I go back to bed or switch on the TV?

jimgoose

No Pants wrote: »

I did not know that.

That's my learning over for the day, shall I go back to bed or switch on the TV?

Sure stick around, it's nearly time for the daily "Diesel is the nectar of the Gods and friend of little furry fellas everywhere, and everyone/thing else can take a runnin' fuck!!" thread.

O.A.P

stock> wrote: »

O.A.P wrote: »

Brake Requirements

For O1 Trailers (DGVW not exceeding 0.75 tonnes)

• O1 trailers with a single axle are not obliged to have brakes provided that their DGVW is less than half the DGVW of the towing vehicle.
• O1 trailers that have a DGVW greater than half of the DGVW weight of the towing vehicle or that have two or more axles must have brakes fitted.

For O2 Trailers (DGVW between 0.75 & 3.5 tonnes)

• All O2 trailers must also have brakes fitted. The braking system must include a parking brake.
• If the O2 trailer does not have an automatic breakaway device that activates its brakes should it become detached from the vehicle, then it must be fitted with a secondary coupling consisting of a chain or wire rope.

http://www.trailersforsale.ie/trailer-regulations.html

I see I have a wire cable on mine that activates the trailer brakes should the trailer pop off the hitch ,never knew it was the law though
The secondary hitch part in your first post through me a bit (thinking why would anyone need two hitches )

swarlb

Jesus. wrote: »

So you're saying they were probably on a manhunt? Its possible I suppose.

But I would say its more likely they just decided to flex their muscles on the next car that took their fancy.

Again, we only have what the OP is telling us. He may well be omitting certain things like his Motor looks like a ricer and he was driving slowly through an empty village at half 3 in the morning. But just going on what he's told us, the likely conclusion is that the Guards in question are making a joke of their profession if this is the best they can come up with.

No, not saying they were on a manhunt. But they could easily have been looking for a car that fitted the description of the car in question.

toyotaavensis

stock> wrote: »

Maybe you had your rear fog light on or that the plastic in the spurious rear light assembly has been bleached by UV light giving a differential in red light emitted.

I do understand what happened but it was just what we all want, "the peelers were doing their job"

Spoke to a nailbender acquaintance of mine yesterday, was up in the Carlow direction and picked up 8 penalty points in six minutes,
No license to pull a trailer 2 points,
No secondary hitch, 4 points,
Broken light lens on trailer 2 points,
He has 4 points already......................

If pulled in for multiple offences in one go you only get one set of points for the most serious offence - in this case he would get 4 not 8. I didnt know that having no secondary hitch was a penalty point offence.