Bad Police Attitude (written by a policeman)

[Mr POD]

zac510 said:

Put it this way, in a couple of weeks you'll get the feel-good feeling of knowing you fought a fine and got off it

I'd take it to the police complaints commission and have the wr for intimidation.

On a matter of proving yourself right would the OP not be better contacting SKODA UK head office and getting them to write a letter on his behalf explaining the car meets all KNOWN european regulations, laws and standards, which they could list.

[JMGS4]

Battenburg Bob said:

JMGS4 said:

M question the the BiB whom was stopped is why he/you didn't refuse to accept the fine and get arrested, then have it out with a qualified vehicle inspector at the stopping BiBs station???
But agreed the attitude is s h i t and such know-all numpties give the majority of excellent BiB a bad name...

You don't get arrested for refusing to take the ticket. You just get reported. Nor does your car get taken to a station to examined by 'a qualified vehicle inspector'.

I'd have taken the ticket..you still get the option to go to court. But you have a period of grace to write to the ticket office and dispute it. If you go for the court option, you've lost that opportunity (and the chance to save a few quid)

Bob, thanks for that.
Been away from GB for 35 years now and I'd assumed it was ticket or arrest! I remember having a 1500 Alfa Junior, which was suspect and it got taken to the station in Bristol Centre to be checked by the VI bobby. Mind you he found nowt.... and that peed off the panda driver (Morris 1000 Noddy car) muchly...

[Battenburg Bob]

matchmaker said:

Battenburg Bob said:

JMGS4 said:

M question the the BiB whom was stopped is why he/you didn't refuse to accept the fine and get arrested, then have it out with a qualified vehicle inspector at the stopping BiBs station???
But agreed the attitude is s h i t and such know-all numpties give the majority of excellent BiB a bad name...

You don't get arrested for refusing to take the ticket. You just get reported. Nor does your car get taken to a station to examined by 'a qualified vehicle inspector'.

I'd have taken the ticket..you still get the option to go to court. But you have a period of grace to write to the ticket office and dispute it. If you go for the court option, you've lost that opportunity (and the chance to save a few quid)

How would he "save a few quid"?

Having the hassle and cost of going to court.

[havoc]

NobleGuy said:

When you get the fine repealed take the letter to his station, call him up and wave in front of his fat head mentioning what a thick prick he is. Might stop him being such knobhead. Doubt it, but...

More likely to make him take it out on the next poor sap so he can prove to himself that he's right after all...

[Glosphil]

Many year ago, in the Bristol area, I was stopped by a patrol car and told my headlamps were illegal as the units were mounted too low. On a 3-year old (original) unmodified Mini. I produced a measuring tape and showed that they were above the minimum required height. One of the policeman then sat on the wing and said that the headlights would be illegal when I braked and the nose dipped! His partner took him to one side and they had a rather animated conversation. They then walked back to their car, got in and drove off without saying another word to me - leaving my then girl friend and I standing in the road wondering what the hell had just happened.

[Ranger 6]

G C said:

What a numpty!

A fine for Xenons?

Don't forget Xenon/HID kits are illegal.

[forza whites]

Most European manufacturers, irrespective of the C** specification manufacture
with regard to EU regulations and directions, not the Road Traffic Act.

I would sugges that this 'apparent' jobsworth be challenged with the relevant paperwork
and type approvals for your car, lights and configuration etc...

The Public don't want to contribute to paying some half witt like this whilst on so called
public duty.

God knows whats going to happen to the new 911 the xenons have dual bulbs!!

[Jasandjules]

Glosphil said:

what the hell had just happened.

Plod 1 had advised Plod 2 that you weren't going to bend over and provide vaseline. Therefore, they would have to swear to a court that your lights would be out of regulations under braking. This would make them

1. Look stupid
2. Be the target of a p***ed off judge
3. Be the target of a costs application

Therefore, Plod 1 told Plod 2 to stop being a p**k and they legged it before you took numbers and started going on the offensive.

AT least, that's how I read it (and it's similar to a situation I once found myself in). You just unfortunately met a t**t in a uniform, but the good news is most plod are good chaps, at least, comparing my a**ey stops vs my stops where plod are nice.

[MonkeyHanger]

Ranger 6 said:

G C said:

What a numpty!

A fine for Xenons?

Don't forget Xenon/HID kits are illegal.

This does NOT involve a kit.

The Octavia vRS WRC limited edition came with fictory fitted Xenon lights complete with washers and self-levelling system and is therefore completely legal in the UK.

Plod hasn't got a leg to stand on with this one i'm afraid.

ETA i suspect in this case the Officer has assumed that because none of Cleveland's MK1 Octavia RS's came with Xenons, then no other Octavia had them either. I know the Plod Octavias didn't have them because i test drove one before i bought my RS.

Edited by MonkeyHanger on Friday 8th August 17:46

[Ranger 6]

MonkeyHanger said:

Ranger 6 said:

Don't forget Xenon/HID kits are illegal.

This does NOT involve a kit.

I know, you made that very clear in your original post, just clarifying 'cos it's not well known that the kits are illegal. Sad assumption on the one that ticketed you that it was a kit, which I guess is the whole point of your rant.

[parapaul]

Waiting for a copy of the complaint letter to be posted up

[havoc]

Ranger 6 said:

'cos it's not well known that the kits are illegal.

Sweeping statement. Not all kits are illegal, just those without self-levelling.

[Deva Link]

havoc said:

Ranger 6 said:

'cos it's not well known that the kits are illegal.

Sweeping statement. Not all kits are illegal, just those without self-levelling.

..and washing.


.but...

Very strictly speaking, even factory fit HID light systems are illegal in the UK - as are LED lights, flashing indicators on braking etc. However, when factory fitted, these *systems* (not the "bulbs" themselves) become legal due to the whole car being EU Type Approved, and this over-rides UK law.

As the type approval is done on the basis of how the car left the factory, you can't retrofit a system and have it included in the car's type approval. Therefore all aftermarket kits (even those that include levelling and washing) are technically illegal.

[forza whites]

Deva Link said:

havoc said:

Ranger 6 said:

'cos it's not well known that the kits are illegal.

Sweeping statement. Not all kits are illegal, just those without self-levelling.

..and washing.


.but...

Very strictly speaking, even factory fit HID light systems are illegal in the UK - as are LED lights, flashing indicators on braking etc. However, when factory fitted, these *systems* (not the "bulbs" themselves) become legal due to the whole car being EU Type Approved, and this over-rides UK law.

As the type approval is done on the basis of how the car left the factory, you can't retrofit a system and have it included in the car's type approval. Therefore all aftermarket kits (even those that include levelling and washing) are technically illegal.

Factory fitted HID light systems illegal?

RUBBISH!!

Some of the worlds biggest and richest Car Producers fit now as standard...LED lights on their
products, they aren't that nieve to fit 'illegal' components!!! Come on!

Individual components are type tested to, and approved.

Many EU regulations are 'mirrored' and or adopted into UK law....

Aftermarket kits will also be approved for sale to the general public....There are a number of laws
and regulations governing there sale.

[viper paul]

Actually don't need h/lamp leveling just washers all UK Vipers are stock with HID lights but have washers fitted for the SVA.

[havoc]

viper paul said:

Actually don't need h/lamp leveling just washers all UK Vipers are stock with HID lights but have washers fitted for the SVA.

You got a link to the law on that one...would make retro-fitting them to the 'teg do-able (albeit not cheap...).

Cheers,

M.

[Puddenchucker]

It's another example of Euro law 'conflicting' with GB laws:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla...

DFT said:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

[Petemate]

OK - what about this then. One of my relatives has an Evo 9 which is fitted with HID headlamps. It has NO levelling and NO headlight washers. This is how it came, brand new, from the dealer.
Answers, not necessarily on a postcard, please.
Pete

[Deva Link]

forza whites said:

Many EU regulations are 'mirrored' and or adopted into UK law....

Correct - and the EU rules on lighting haven't been, which make HID etc *technically* illegal in the UK.

You cannot be prosecuted for it though, because the EU law on type approval over-rides UK law.

forza whites said:

Aftermarket kits will also be approved for sale to the general public....There are a number of laws
and regulations governing there sale.

No there aren't. They're illegal.

[Ranger 6]

Just to help here is the DFT fact sheet - http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla...

The crucial part is;

"In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated"

So anything e-marked such as a new car will be fine - kits won't.