Fine for non-working light

rahmalec · 16-10-2019 5:30pm #1

Alright so I was driving half way across the country a night a few weeks ago. Stopped by a guard at 1 in the morning. Told one of my lights wasn’t working. I stepped out, saw it wasn’t. Was working perfectly before I had left. Told him I had travelled half way across the country and must have blown on the way somewhere.

Anyway lo and behold, I get a fixed charge notice in the post. I’m just wondering, how was I supposed avoid this? Surely the thing has to be driven before a broken light is noticed, unless it blows while stationary.

tcawley29 · 16-10-2019 5:34pm

rahmalec wrote: »

Alright so I was driving half way across the country a night a few weeks ago. Stopped by a guard at 1 in the morning. Told one of my lights wasn’t working. I stepped out, saw it wasn’t. Was working perfectly before I had left. Told him I had travelled half way across the country and must have blown on the way somewhere.

Anyway lo and behold, I get a fixed charge notice in the post. I’m just wondering, how was I supposed avoid this? Surely the thing has to be driven before a broken light is noticed, unless it blows while stationary.

Carry spares? In some european countries you must carry spares.

Although you may be genuine yourself I really cannot blame the garda. YYou're suffering because of all the other clowns who wait until the NCT is due to get the problem fixed.

corglass · 16-10-2019 5:35pm

rahmalec wrote: »

Alright so I was driving half way across the country a night a few weeks ago. Stopped by a guard at 1 in the morning. Told one of my lights wasn’t working. I stepped out, saw it wasn’t. Was working perfectly before I had left. Told him I had travelled half way across the country and must have blown on the way somewhere.

Anyway lo and behold, I get a fixed charge notice in the post. I’m just wondering, how was I supposed avoid this? Surely the thing has to be driven before a broken light is noticed, unless it blows while stationary.

Carry a spare bulb in the car. Once one blows, you should notice and replace it if you're able. If not, get it fixed

You're scenario is unfortunate as chances are slim getting caught on same night. Not sure how you didn't notice once it blew?

Also how are you sure it was ok when leaving?

Salary Negotiator · 16-10-2019 5:38pm

If you didn’t realize it was blown when you were driving how do you know it worked before you set off?

I wish they’d fine more of the one eyed wonders.

Boardnashea · 16-10-2019 5:38pm

I would be very surprised to get a FCN for a bulb and would consider defending it (if I had the time). Does it come with points?
Which bulb was it? Dipped beam drivers side prob the worst but I'm sure there are many opinions on that.

krissovo · 16-10-2019 5:44pm

If it was your dipped light then I would have zero sympathy, any other light then its a bit harsh but I would be happy if the guards start clamping down on this.

rahmalec · 16-10-2019 6:21pm

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

If you didn’t realize it was blown when you were driving how do you know it worked before you set off?

I wish they’d fine more of the one eyed wonders.

Because I had seen it just as I set off. I’m not lying like.

Look I get that they need to be clamping down on people going around with non-working lights. That’s fair enough. I’m just ranting that I was unlucky and got caught right probably right after it blew.

I was the left dipped lights. I did notice the visibility wasn’t as good but it had just started drizzling so put it down to that.

I did have spares actually but didn’t even think of them at the time.

rahmalec · 16-10-2019 6:22pm

Anyway, I’ll be paying it.
Not arsed defending it and don’t have time either.

XsApollo · 16-10-2019 6:27pm

Bulbs rarely go when then are already lit up, usually happens after they are turned on or off.

Supposing it did blow as you were driving.
It’s a joke, how are you supposed to change the bulb out in middle of the night?
What do you do , cancel the journey until you get it repaired?
Park up in the hard shoulder on the motorway and start changing out a bulb?
It’s hard enough on some cars now parked up in your driveway,
And it’s not possible on some cars without ripping out the airfilter box or whatever else.

XsApollo · 16-10-2019 6:33pm

On another note does the fine increase if challenged.
I’d challenge that and explain your logic to a judge can’t imagine the judge disagreeing.
A warning to get it repaired and prove its fixed might be a better system.

LuasSimon · 16-10-2019 6:38pm

This type of stuff gives guards a bad name .. be more in their line catch a few burglars or drug dealers in the locality !

Yer Da sells Avon · 16-10-2019 6:44pm

You can very easily apply to the Gardai to have the fine cancelled, citing exceptional circumstances. Potentially, the 'exceptional circumstances' in this case could be that the bulb blew while you were driving, and most modern cars can't have bulbs replaced at the side of the road.

I received an FCN in the post last year for non-display of a valid insurance disc (the car was insured; the new disc was at home in a drawer). I filled out the cancellation form and attached a copy of my insurance cert. The appeal was successful. As supporting evidence, you could (for example) include a letter explaining that the bulb blew while you were driving, and a receipt for a light bulb or a time-stamped photo of the car with functioning lights.

Basically, make the guards think you'd be prepared to go to court over it.

kippy · 16-10-2019 8:10pm

I'd say the Gardai hear this type of story on a regular basis.

Stovepipe · 16-10-2019 8:17pm

I had one genius of a Garda, at a tax/insurance checkpoint, insist that I had my fog lights on (Skoda Octavia). I hadn't. Just normal dimmed lights. I said I hadn't, at which point he got rather annoyed, walked around the car, came back to the window and insisted I had them on. I said to him that he should look at the instrument panel if he didnt believe me and I got the Templemore Reply "are you getting smart with me?". No, sez, I, "look for yourself. The fog light symbol is not on". He stuck his head in, made sure he got a good sniff of my breath (no gargle taken) and saw that the fog light symbol was not on, gave a loud "Huh...get away from me" and waved me on. One more Garda off my Christmas card list.

colm_mcm · 16-10-2019 8:20pm

the brothers Superb uses the fogs as DRLs - Not sure if it’s coded in or that’s the way they should be.

rahmalec · 16-10-2019 8:54pm

kippy wrote: »

I'd say the Gardai hear this type of story on a regular basis.

Ya hey probably do, but what about when it’s actually a true story?

Cee-Jay-Cee · 16-10-2019 9:06pm

LuasSimon wrote: »

This type of stuff gives guards a bad name .. be more in their line catch a few burglars or drug dealers in the locality !

There’s always an idiot that comes out with a line like above!

But yes you’re right, guards should ignore everything else except burglars and drug dealers. They should visit every house in their district to ensure they’re not being burgled!

Maybe the guard was actually doing a checkpoint to ensure people out at 1am have a legitimate reason for being out on the road and not on their way to or from committing a crime???

Guy:Incognito · 16-10-2019 9:11pm

Boardnashea wrote: »

I would be very surprised to get a FCN for a bulb and would consider defending it (if I had the time).

On what grounds? The OP says it was blown.

LuasSimon wrote: »

This type of stuff gives guards a bad name .. be more in their line catch a few burglars or drug dealers in the locality !

Why burglars or drug dealers? Why not put 100% of their time in to rapists and murderers?

Once every murder and rape ever is solved and prevented, they can work down from there.

Midnight_EG · 16-10-2019 9:11pm

LuasSimon wrote: »

This type of stuff gives guards a bad name .. be more in their line catch a few burglars or drug dealers in the locality !

Except its literally the point of the Roads Policing Unit :rolleyes:

Mervyn Skidmore · 16-10-2019 9:26pm

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Maybe the guard was actually doing a checkpoint to ensure people out at 1am have a legitimate reason for being out on the road and not on their way to or from committing a crime???

Never knew you needed to have a legitimate reason to be on the road, maybe in North Korea.

tcawley29 · 16-10-2019 9:39pm

LuasSimon wrote: »

This type of stuff gives guards a bad name .. be more in their line catch a few burglars or drug dealers in the locality !

So you're one of the people who wait until their nct to fix the car.

Your comment is the most braindead one I've read today. Consider a darwin award for yourself

Markcheese · 17-10-2019 8:02am

I like the idea that the Garda just gives you a ticket to go have your car inspected at a garda station within a week or something... And not turning up there gets you the fine...

dsmythy · 17-10-2019 2:29pm

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

There’s always an idiot that comes out with a line like above!

But yes you’re right, guards should ignore everything else except burglars and drug dealers. They should visit every house in their district to ensure they’re not being burgled!

Maybe the guard was actually doing a checkpoint to ensure people out at 1am have a legitimate reason for being out on the road and not on their way to or from committing a crime???

More serious crimes are detected from what started as a light out on a car too.

17-10-2019 2:42pm

tcawley29 wrote: »

Carry spares? In some european countries you must carry spares.

Although you may be genuine yourself I really cannot blame the garda. YYou're suffering because of all the other clowns who wait until the NCT is due to get the problem fixed.

What about the many cars that changing a bulb isn’t a quick 2 minute job on the side of the road or in most cars changing a rear light is not straight forward and involves tools and removing the whole light.

kirving · 17-10-2019 2:58pm

Equally, it should be law that a bulb can be changed on the roadside, OR that the lower fog/spot light on that side is activated automatically at a lower brightness so that you can be seen but not glare other drivers.

In any case, most forward facing "fog" lights these days are not particularly glaring as they used to be, and in many cases are used for turning or as a styling feature.

DaveyDave · 17-10-2019 3:01pm

There's a bit of risk involved with bulbs. If they go you can't just say "oh you should carry a spare blah blah blah" cos I'm going to spend half an hour taking out the light while watching a YouTube tutorial while using the tools I don't have.

If one blows and you're a decent person who actually wants to get it fixed, it could be 2-3 days before you could get it fixed.

It's just unfortunate that the OP was caught when there's people driving years like that but for all the Garda knows it's gone months.

bucketybuck · 17-10-2019 3:07pm

Markcheese wrote: »

I like the idea that the Garda just gives you a ticket to go have your car inspected at a garda station within a week or something... And not turning up there gets you the fine...

The same people would just treat it the same as the NCT, do nothing unless they get stopped.

Face facts, if saying it just happened was good enough to dodge the fine then everybody would just say that it just happened, thats common sense.

To be honest, 1 in the morning and didn't notice that a headlamp bulb had blown at some point in the last hour? Not exactly observant are we.

seagull · 17-10-2019 3:07pm

My car needs the front bumper removed to change a headlight bulb. Changing the headlight bulb on my wife's car needs to be done via the wheel arch. Hardly something I could do at the side of the road in the middle of the night in either case.
I know they changed the law a few years back to be an instant fine if you have a bulb out. My own thought is a better system is that you're given 1 business day to present the car at a garda station with the bulb replaced.

tcawley29 · 17-10-2019 3:36pm

Ryland Aggressive Stenography wrote: »

What about the many cars that changing a bulb isn’t a quick 2 minute job on the side of the road or in most cars changing a rear light is not straight forward and involves tools and removing the whole light.

A massive assumption on my part but if you show the garda you have a spare but it's impossible to fit at the side of the road you should be let off.

If he gives you a ticket after that scenario I would get a letter off a mechanic/dealer saying it is impossible to change at the side of the road and appeal the fine.

Having said that I've never been in the situation so I have no real experience here.

FishOnABike · 17-10-2019 4:11pm

An on the spot fine seems harsh given the bulb in many cars headlights can't be changed without tools. Even with the tools needed to hand some are definitely not a side of the road in the dark and pouring rain job.

My current car is reasonably straightforward but even that needs a torx screwdriver to release the headlight mounting and slide it forward to get at the rere of the headlight assembly to change a bulb.

I've had a bulb fail only minutes after the car passing its NCT and didn't have a toolbox in the boot having cleared it for the NCT. Had a spare bulb in the glove compartment but no tools to change it. So it can happen any time.

biko · 17-10-2019 4:34pm

Spread the word OP
Maybe it'll help make our roads safer when people that keeps putting it off finally fixes their lights.

Fine for non-working light

Comments