Taped-over reversing lights

[parabolica]

Any ideas why someone would do this? Sat behind a 08 Clio today and they had placed black electrical tape over both reversing lights - said lights are in the centre of the light cluster so it was deliberate. I'm guessing a possible scam where they reverse into unsuspecting people who don't see the reverse lights and then get blamed for rear-ending the Clio? but I might be overreacting. Either way I was happy to let an Uber Prius pull in between me and the Clio before we moved off from the lights.

[TallPaul]

Broken reverse switch so the lights are on all the time and not enough knowledge to either fix or remove the bulbs?

[SlimJim16v]

Knob?

[The Wookie]

Perhaps an MOT dodge for reversing lights having to work if they're 'present' but not technically required?

Also OP loving your work only letting an Uber Prius in front of you to put it in harms way, knew you had to be from London before I even looked at your profile! My old man drives a lot in London and hates them with a passion

[V8Matthew]

My guess is an electrical fault meaning the lights are on permanently (supporting evidence: its French).
My fox body has reverse lights converted to indicators, never had it mentioned by an MOT tester.

[mcford]

The Wookie said:

Perhaps an MOT dodge for reversing lights having to work if they're 'present' but not technically required?

They're not testable, advisory at the worst.

[parabolica]

I thought about broken lights/switch, but surely it would be easier to remove the bulbs rather than going to the effort of sculpting leccy tape on the clusters...

[Gareth79]

Has to reverse somewhere late at night and the lights annoy somebody?

[V8Matthew]

parabolica said:

I thought about broken lights/switch, but surely it would be easier to remove the bulbs rather than going to the effort of sculpting leccy tape on the clusters...

Don't know for sure but 08 is quite modern (in my world!) so maybe the lights are controlled by some kind of module that doesn't like there being no lamps in the holders?