Moving a car with faulty rear lights.
Discussion
Hypothetically I need to move a car sometime on Friday over a distance of around 100 miles with faulty rear lights. (Dodgy earth has burnt out so the lights do funny things - If you have the indicators on and hit the brakes the indicators stop working!).
I have the parts on order with the guy I brought my car off and his son will fit them for me.
Whats the implications of me driving it? If I do drive it will be mid day to avoid too many problems. Should I put a warning notice in the rear window or is that admitting liability if someone hits me?
My brake lights still work btw.
I'm not driving the car at the minute because of the fault.
Thanks,
Phill
I have the parts on order with the guy I brought my car off and his son will fit them for me.
Whats the implications of me driving it? If I do drive it will be mid day to avoid too many problems. Should I put a warning notice in the rear window or is that admitting liability if someone hits me?
My brake lights still work btw.
I'm not driving the car at the minute because of the fault.
Thanks,
Phill
Mr E said:
I'd be more concerned about someone piling into the back of you, and the police discovering that you knew the lights were bad and had the parts to fix them......
Parts are on order but i'm not at home (i'm down at uni).
Like I said earlier the brake lights work, its the indicators that aren't.
How about:
Hand signals plus a note in the back window stating “Hand Turn Signals Only”, also take out the turn bulbs and put a black (insulating tape?) cross over the indicators to indicate they are out of action.
Just make sure you slow down very gradually as you approach any turns you want to make, to may piss a few people off for driving slowly – but less so than if they had run into the back of you.
>> Edited by ledaig on Saturday 15th October 21:48
>> Edited by ledaig on Saturday 15th October 21:49
Hand signals plus a note in the back window stating “Hand Turn Signals Only”, also take out the turn bulbs and put a black (insulating tape?) cross over the indicators to indicate they are out of action.
Just make sure you slow down very gradually as you approach any turns you want to make, to may piss a few people off for driving slowly – but less so than if they had run into the back of you.
>> Edited by ledaig on Saturday 15th October 21:48
>> Edited by ledaig on Saturday 15th October 21:49
The law puts it like this:
If the 100 mile trip has nothing to do with getting the lights repaired, you would struggle to use 'reasonable expedition' as a defence.
That said I've stopped many motorists with a light out, and they get a warning. If the same chap is driving around a week later with the same light out, then he gets a ticket.
I may however deal with your indicator problem by way of VDRS (Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme), whereby I task you to have the offending electrics sorted within a fortnight in lieu of prosecution.
Regulation 23 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 said:
concerning the maintenance of lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices. It states:-
23(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle unless every lamp, reflector, rear marking and device with which it is required to be fitted by these Regulations is in good working order and in the case of a lamp, clean -
23(2) Save as provided in 23(3) - paragraph 23(1) applies to
(a) every
(i) front position lamp,
(ii) rear position lamp,
(iii) headlamp,
(iv) rear registration plate lamp,
(v) side marker lamp,
(vi) end-outline marker lamp,
(vii) rear fog lamp,
(viii) retro reflector,
(ix) rear marking.
with which the vehicle is required by these Regulations to be fitted; and
(b) every -
(i) stop lamp,
(ii) direction indicator,
(iii) running lamp,
(iv) dim-dip device,
(v) headlamp levelling device, and
(vi) hazard warning signal device.
with which it is fitted.
EXCEPTIONS:
23(3) Paragraph 23(2) above does not apply to -
(a) a rear fog lamp on a vehicle which is part of a combination of vehicles any part of which is not required by these Regulations to be fitted with a rear fog lamp;
(b) a rear fog lamp on a motor vehicle drawing a trailer;
(c) a defective lamp, reflector, dim-dip device or headlamp levelling device on a vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset, if any such lamp, reflector or device became defective during the journey which is in progress or if arrangements have been made to remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition; or
(d) a lamp, reflector, dim-dip device, headlamp levelling device or rear marking on a combat vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset.
If the 100 mile trip has nothing to do with getting the lights repaired, you would struggle to use 'reasonable expedition' as a defence.
That said I've stopped many motorists with a light out, and they get a warning. If the same chap is driving around a week later with the same light out, then he gets a ticket.
I may however deal with your indicator problem by way of VDRS (Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme), whereby I task you to have the offending electrics sorted within a fortnight in lieu of prosecution.
pmanson said:
pmanson said:
Like I said earlier the brake lights work, its the indicators that aren't.
Use hand signals rather than indicators?
Hadn't thought of that. Good idea! (Although i doubt most people will understand what i'm trying to do!)
Just logged on and read this thread, you just took the words out of my mouth, doubt many drivers can even open their windows, let alone give hand signals, apart from the "I love you too" guesture.
IaHa said:
The law puts it like this:
Regulation 23 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 said:
concerning the maintenance of lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices. It states:-
23(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle unless every lamp, reflector, rear marking and device with which it is required to be fitted by these Regulations is in good working order and in the case of a lamp, clean -
23(2) Save as provided in 23(3) - paragraph 23(1) applies to
(a) every
(i) front position lamp,
(ii) rear position lamp,
(iii) headlamp,
(iv) rear registration plate lamp,
(v) side marker lamp,
(vi) end-outline marker lamp,
(vii) rear fog lamp,
(viii) retro reflector,
(ix) rear marking.
with which the vehicle is required by these Regulations to be fitted; and
(b) every -
(i) stop lamp,
(ii) direction indicator,
(iii) running lamp,
(iv) dim-dip device,
(v) headlamp levelling device, and
(vi) hazard warning signal device.
with which it is fitted.
EXCEPTIONS:
23(3) Paragraph 23(2) above does not apply to -
(a) a rear fog lamp on a vehicle which is part of a combination of vehicles any part of which is not required by these Regulations to be fitted with a rear fog lamp;
(b) a rear fog lamp on a motor vehicle drawing a trailer;
(c) a defective lamp, reflector, dim-dip device or headlamp levelling device on a vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset, if any such lamp, reflector or device became defective during the journey which is in progress or if arrangements have been made to remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition; or
(d) a lamp, reflector, dim-dip device, headlamp levelling device or rear marking on a combat vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset.
If the 100 mile trip has nothing to do with getting the lights repaired, you would struggle to use 'reasonable expedition' as a defence.
That said I've stopped many motorists with a light out, and they get a warning. If the same chap is driving around a week later with the same light out, then he gets a ticket.
I may however deal with your indicator problem by way of VDRS (Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme), whereby I task you to have the offending electrics sorted within a fortnight in lieu of prosecution.
So if stopped if I explain what is going on I should be ok?
Due to the earth problem the bulbs for the rear stop lights are flashing when I use the indicators (so i technically have red indicators at the back). However when I hit the brakes they stop flashing.
pmanson said:
So if stopped if I explain what is going on I should be ok?
Due to the earth problem the bulbs for the rear stop lights are flashing when I use the indicators (so i technically have red indicators at the back). However when I hit the brakes they stop flashing.
You're looking for a straighter answer than I can give you.
If you are making the journey to get the lights repaired, then I believe you have a defence.
If the lights failed on the journey you would have a defence.
Otherwise you would be committing an offence.
If I stopped you, you would either get a warning or a VDRS.
It's possible you could get a non endorsable fpn (£30).
Maximum fine at court is 'level 3' which I think is about £1000, maybe up to £2000.
eccles said:
"remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition;"
but could another officer interpret driving 100 miles as not being with reasonable expedition?......i mean whats to stop you getting the car repaired locally?
Nothing I suppose apart from the fact I don't know any local garages and where they are located.
Well, in the absence of actually using the indictators you say that the brake lights work ok. Therefore, I'd be tempted to use hand signals. If other road users don't understand the signals, surely that's their look-out; its part of the Highway Code and they ought to have been tested on them before being given a license to drive...
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