Penalty points for driving with no lights on one side?

elperello · 15-03-2018 07:14PM

the_pen_turner wrote: »

its crazy isnt it.
surely there should be some law to make it an easy job

Absolutely.
There should be an EU standard for bulb accessibility.
It's clearly a safety issue.

wonski · 15-03-2018 07:20PM

AnMuinteoirOg wrote: »

There are over 600 FCN offences...The Garda obviously isn't going to know on the spot the penalty for each and every one.

There are supermarket assistants who know more than 600 products.

One chain I know required the till operators to know and remember a lot of codes for products without barcodes.

While it's not a fair comparison, I would expect a member of Gardai to have a book with them and look it up if needed. That's what the guys in supermarket do. Or go and look for it...

I would definitely want to know what I was charged and how many penalty points. Don't know is not an answer!

15-03-2018 07:23PM

elperello wrote: »

Absolutely.
There should be an EU standard for bulb accessibility.
It's clearly a safety issue.

Had to drive a Citroen xsara for work, the driver side bulbs were right in front of the window wash reservoir, even the AA guy couldn't change them. Another issue with them and seen on the two I drove was that the fuses for the dips used to go on a regular basis.

bucketybuck · 15-03-2018 07:31PM

All these people struggling to change bulbs at the side of the road in the dark, clearly you are missing the point of where and when you should be checking your lights. (Hint, it's not on the side of the road in the dark)

Do your daily checks people! It's a bugbear of mine I must admit, and you must admit it is rather dangerous to meet a car when you thought you were meeting a motorbike...

wonski · 15-03-2018 07:37PM

bucketybuck wrote: »

All these people struggling to change bulbs at the side of the road in the dark, clearly you are missing the point of where and when you should be checking your lights. (Hint, it's not on the side of the road in the dark)

Do your daily checks people! It's a bugbear of mine I must admit, and you must admit it is rather dangerous to meet a car when you thought you were meeting a motorbike...

It can fail at any time. Do all bulbs fail at the driveway? There should be replaceable at the side of the road is the point.

JohnBoy26 · 15-03-2018 07:43PM

bucketybuck wrote: »

All these people struggling to change bulbs at the side of the road in the dark, clearly you are missing the point of where and when you should be checking your lights. (Hint, it's not on the side of the road in the dark)

Do your daily checks people! It's a bugbear of mine I must admit, and you must admit it is rather dangerous to meet a car when you thought you were meeting a motorbike...

Hint, a bulb can blow at any time even with regular checks.

galwaytt · 15-03-2018 07:45PM

wonski wrote: »

On that note I love the way Volvo dealt with the problem in s40 (not sure if the new generation is the same though)

You remove the whole reflector in 3 seconds by pulling the pin and can put it in the boot or bring it back home to change the bulb Other manufacturers should learn from them!

2012 Mégane. ...undo a screw, pull a clip, entire headlight slides out completely. They robbed this idea of the old Citroën BX iirc.....

2003 Porsche 911.....insert 5mm hex (in tool kit) and turn 90 degrees. Entire head light out in your hand in seconds. Must have been a BX owner in the design office methinks... !

wonski · 15-03-2018 07:51PM

galwaytt wrote: »

2012 Mégane. ...undo a screw, pull a clip, entire headlight slides out completely. They robbed this idea of the old Citroën B iirc.....

2003 Porsche 911.....insert 5mm hex (in tool kit) and turn 90 degrees. Entire head light out in your hand in seconds. Must have been a BX owner in the design office methinks...
!

Should be the very first page of the manual.

Screw the tools. I don't need them

Dr_Kolossus · 15-03-2018 08:06PM

Got a bulb changed by halfords, some expensive halogen one, guy fitted it incorrectly. Melted the plastic casing, was quoted 280 to replace.

In fairness halfords fixed it, but goes to show can cause issues if u not sure what you r doing

bucketybuck · 15-03-2018 08:12PM

wonski wrote: »

It can fail at any time. Do all bulbs fail at the driveway? There should be replaceable at the side of the road is the point.

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Hint, a bulb can blow at any time even with regular checks.

You think that is a rebuttal, when we all know that lack of daily checks and lack of proper maintenance is the real reason for all these cars driving with blown bulbs. There is no legion of old women stopping their cars by the roadside to change the bulb that failed 30 seconds ago.

Hence easy access to bulbs at the roadside in the dark is pretty much a sort of red herring. Make those bulbs easier to access and you would still see these same people driving around with blown bulbs.

Pretend otherwise if you want of course.

Hitman3000 · 15-03-2018 08:35PM

bucketybuck wrote:

All these people struggling to change bulbs at the side of the road in the dark, clearly you are missing the point of where and when you should be checking your lights. (Hint, it's not on the side of the road in the dark)

So bulbs only blow in the driveway in daylight?

Hitman3000 · 15-03-2018 08:41PM

bucketybuck wrote:

You think that is a rebuttal, when we all know that lack of daily checks and lack of proper maintenance is the real reason for all these cars driving with blown bulbs. There is no legion of old women stopping their cars by the roadside to change the bulb that failed 30 seconds ago.

It's a decent rebuttal and no one other than you mentioned a legion of old women.

Joeseph Balls · 15-03-2018 08:45PM

GM228 wrote: »

Just a €60 FCPN, no points.

I drove with the headlight on the passenger side out. Genuinely didn't know it was gone.
2 points and a fine.
Careless and reckless driving towards other road users.

wonski · 15-03-2018 08:50PM

Harsh tbh.

Del2005 · 15-03-2018 08:52PM

Hitman3000 wrote: »

So bulbs only blow in the driveway in daylight?

If you meet the same car with the same blown blub for several weeks then it could have been replaced. Bulbs do blow but having if blown till the NCT isn't the answer. A daily check is where you catch the blown bulb and replace it, not when the Gardai actually bother to stop you.

Guy:Incognito · 15-03-2018 09:03PM

wonski wrote: »

It can fail at any time. Do all bulbs fail at the driveway? There should be replaceable at the side of the road is the point.

The ops car had no lights on one side. I doubt they went at the same time. Plus i seriously doubt all the people driving with one headlight had it just blow on that journey.

Hitman3000 · 15-03-2018 09:05PM

Del2005 wrote:

If you meet the same car with the same blown blub for several weeks then it could have been replaced. Bulbs do blow but having if blown till the NCT isn't the answer. A daily check is where you catch the blown bulb and replace it, not when the Gardai actually bother to stop you.

A bulb can blow at anytime, I realise this may come as a surprise to you it's true.

Hitman3000 · 15-03-2018 09:07PM

Guy:Incognito wrote:

Plus i seriously doubt all the people driving with one headlight had it just blow on that journey.

You doubt it, in other words nothing but a guess.

AnMuinteoirOg · 15-03-2018 09:10PM

AnMuinteoirOg wrote: »

There are over 600 FCN offences...The Garda obviously isn't going to know on the spot the penalty for each and every one.

And that's just fcn offences... There are also countless other offences that a garda has to deal with.
There's also case law on the matter. Dpp V mulligan states a garda is not a legal repository. They aren't expected to know every bit of legislation and the penalties.. They just need to know it's an offence

Isambard · 15-03-2018 09:14PM

a bit mean to give him a ticket when he had the fogs working.

kerten · 15-03-2018 10:01PM

I am normally very strict about fixing blown bulbs quickly and ones I use fail regularly due to daytime use. They caught me off guard twice.

First, two dipped bulbs went at the same time during work and I worked till midnight that day so noticed them very later. Had spares but no screwdriver(moved toolbox out of boot day before for airport run). Had to drive with fogs and side lights on m50 afterwards. If any garda had stopped me that day, they would probably let me go with level of shame on my face.

Second one this week, Doing multiple runs between home, Holles street and creche due to baby no:2 arrived and no:1 needs to be looked after. One of the dipped beams gone and I couldn't fix it for two days. Broker managed not to send insurance disc for other car so I can't drive that one as well.

JohnBoy26 · 15-03-2018 11:39PM

bucketybuck wrote: »

You think that is a rebuttal, when we all know that lack of daily checks and lack of proper maintenance is the real reason for all these cars driving with blown bulbs. There is no legion of old women stopping their cars by the roadside to change the bulb that failed 30 seconds ago.

Hence easy access to bulbs at the roadside in the dark is pretty much a sort of red herring. Make those bulbs easier to access and you would still see these same people driving around with blown bulbs.

Pretend otherwise if you want of course.

But the point you were trying to make was that if people checked their light regularly we wouldn't have a situation where changing a bulb at the roadside was necessary.

That's just not accurate. A bulb can fail at anytime. I'm looking at the bulb in my kitchen everyday and that went all of a sudden lastnight.

JohnBoy26 · 15-03-2018 11:42PM

Del2005 wrote: »

If you meet the same car with the same blown blub for several weeks then it could have been replaced. Bulbs do blow but having if blown till the NCT isn't the answer. A daily check is where you catch the blown bulb and replace it, not when the Gardai actually bother to stop you.

Yeah but there are situations where you can be checking them regularly and then for it to suddenly fail some night you are going to work. If a garda happens to be passing they will still stop you. I know the chances of this are rare but it can happen.

lazyman · 15-03-2018 11:58PM

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

I drove with the headlight on the passenger side out. Genuinely didn't know it was gone.
2 points and a fine.
Careless and reckless driving towards other road users.

Like you I honestly did not know the bulbs were gone on one side until I left work at 11pm, was driving my wife's car and was bright when I left home that day. She normally only drives in daylight hours so she didn't realise it either, I put on the fogs to acknowledge the bulbs were gone as it would be far more dangerous to have no light at all On,
I replaced the bulbs today so will call into the garda station in the morning in the hope of a being giving a chance.
Is it definitely an offence which carries a fine and points then?

the_pen_turner · 16-03-2018 12:10AM

i wonder if you put your hazzards on would it help . at leaast you would be showing that something unexpected was wrong not obliviously driving along

Doltanian · 16-03-2018 01:10AM

The fine for a blown bulb should be €300 minimum, I sympathise with the OP and I'm sure he will get it fixed but there is way too many people taking the piss with blown bulbs and misaligned and wrong wattage bulbs, boyracers especially.

I'd argue that very often nearly 50% of drivers have defective, misaligned or wrong bulbs fitted. That and the misuse of foglights really need to be clamped down on. Roll out the Guards one weekend every month during winter months doing spot checks all over the country, give each guard a €100 bonus for catching an offender out of a €300 fine and alot of the clowns wouldn't be long sorting out their lights. There is also far too many chancer mechanics out there who invariably upset or make lights worse. It is the one thing I cannot stand it really makes me angry as I am always dazzled and invariably get my retinas fried every time I drive by night.

Failure to dim your headlights should carry a €500 fine and 3 penalty points. If only we had a road safety policy that focused on other issues besides drink driving and speeding.

Hitman3000 · 16-03-2018 01:51AM

Doltanian wrote:

The fine for a blown bulb should be â‚¬300 minimum, I sympathise with the OP and I'm sure he will get it fixed but there is way too many people taking the piss with blown bulbs and misaligned and wrong wattage bulbs, boyracers especially.

Must be great being prefect and never have a bulb blow unexpectedly. Meanwhile in the real world.....

Guy:Incognito · 16-03-2018 02:08AM

Hitman3000 wrote: »

You doubt it, in other words nothing but a guess.

Jesus Christ. You're being deliberately argumentative. I'm willing to bet a full years wages that not all of the very many eejits ì see on a daily basis driving around with 1 working headlamp have had the bulb blow on the journey they are on.

Feel free to set up at a busy junction, say on the naas road , for a day and conduct a survey if you fancy your chances of making easy money for yourself. But I suspect you know it full well but just decided to be contrary.

Hitman3000 · 16-03-2018 02:16AM

Guy:Incognito wrote:

Feel free to set up at a busy junction, say on the naas road , for a day and conduct a survey if you fancy your chances of making easy money for yourself. But I suspect you know it full well but just decided to be contrary.

I find your arguement/ guess work to be of the usual lazy catch all assumption so common in this country. You can guess all you wish of course but that's all it is a guess with absolutely no basis in fact.

the_pen_turner · 16-03-2018 02:20AM

i would have to agree. guy. there is no way all those people had the misforture to flow the bulb all on the same day
some will have happened that day but i doubt most would have.
yes its a guess but it fairly accurate

Penalty points for driving with no lights on one side?

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