What's the charge II?
Author
Discussion

supermono

Original Poster:

7,464 posts

278 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
I saw someone just now driving without headlights in torrential rain. Actually I saw loads of them -- almost as many as I did with proper lighting for the conditions. What would be the charge for this? Is it possible they could lose their cars as a result?

SM

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
Regulation 25 Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989.

supermono

Original Poster:

7,464 posts

278 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
I'd love to see a chart with the number of convictions for driving without headlights in torrential rain against numbers of convictions for driving with a bit of wheelspin on through a corner. And the accident rates for both.

Actually I'd like to know how much we're paying per year extra on our insurances as a result of people failing to signal correctly and causing pileups on roundabouts.

Is there a table of real world accident causes and police convictions?

SM

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
Plenty of data out there if you want to go search.

supermono

Original Poster:

7,464 posts

278 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
From your training, VH, which causes the most pile ups? No lights in torrential rain or failure to signal right when passing an exit on the roundabout? Or perhaps a bit of tyresmoke mid corner?

I imagine statistics like these must have to be included in Police training or otherwise it'd just be left to whatever you think looks like it ought to be worth a pull based on your judgement, and there's no way that would be clever or efficient use of expensive Police time would it?

SM

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
supermono said:
From your training, VH, which causes the most pile ups? No lights in torrential rain or failure to signal right when passing an exit on the roundabout? Or perhaps a bit of tyresmoke mid corner?

I imagine statistics like these must have to be included in Police training or otherwise it'd just be left to whatever you think looks like it ought to be worth a pull based on your judgement, and there's no way that would be clever or efficient use of expensive Police time would it?

SM


Dealing with motoring offences isn't on the radar for most officers, they are targeted & too busy with other concerns.
As they aren't targeted to do it, it is very much a matter for them what they deal with & how (depending of course if they have the time to deal with it in the first place).
Collisions are rarely down to one single factor, they generally happen because of a combination.

NCC1701

3,851 posts

234 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
It would be waste of police time collating spurious figures, accidents caused by badgers versus wheelspin etc.

BiBs are taught the law and then it is up to them to enforce it as they see fit unless directed otherwise by force policy.

The idea that an offence shouldn't be enforced because a more serious offence exists taken to its logical conclusion would mean only murder was policed.

fluffnik

20,156 posts

257 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
NCC1701 said:

The idea that an offence shouldn't be enforced because a more serious offence exists taken to its logical conclusion would mean only murder was policed.


That might be a liiiiittle extreme, but probably closer to the ideal than the current surfeit of legislation...

andyuk911

1,979 posts

239 months

Friday 11th May 2007
quotequote all
Slightly off the subject, but I keep coming acros cars with NO brake lights, apart from the centre one.

Would I be right in saying the car is not road worthy, or is it sufficient just to have the one light ?

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
quotequote all
andyuk911 said:
Slightly off the subject, but I keep coming acros cars with NO brake lights, apart from the centre one.

Would I be right in saying the car is not road worthy, or is it sufficient just to have the one light ?


Defective brake lights is an offence.

eccles

14,403 posts

252 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
quotequote all
andyuk911 said:
Slightly off the subject, but I keep coming acros cars with NO brake lights, apart from the centre one.

Would I be right in saying the car is not road worthy, or is it sufficient just to have the one light ?


i've found a few cars like that, and a couple of them have been pretty new (only a couple of years old, or less).
if they've been local to me, i follow them home and tell them. although the '53 plate golf driver i followed home and told just said "yeah mate i know, they've been like that for ages" rolleyes

bumpkin

158 posts

285 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
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is not using indicators an offence of any sort?

whe doing my hgv course we were told an indicator or the lack of one was not proof of intent

NCC1701

3,851 posts

234 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
quotequote all
bumpkin said:
is not using indicators an offence of any sort?

whe doing my hgv course we were told an indicator or the lack of one was not proof of intent



Due Care again.

Edited by NCC1701 on Saturday 12th May 09:36

blueyes

4,799 posts

282 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
quotequote all
NCC1701 said:
bumpkin said:
is not using indicators an offence of any sort?

whe doing my hgv course we were told an indicator or the lack of one was not proof of intent



Due Care again.

Edited by NCC1701 on Saturday 12th May 09:36



depends:

Highway code-

85: Signals warn and inform other road users, including pedestrians (see Signals to other road users section), of your intended actions. You should :

give clear signals in plenty of time, having checked it is not misleading to signal at that time
use them, if necessary, before changing course or direction, stopping or moving off
cancel them after use

CommanderJameson

22,096 posts

256 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
quotequote all
Is it just me or are there more cars around with one or both headlights dysfunctional than there used to be?

Richard C

1,685 posts

287 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
quotequote all
CommanderJameson said:
Is it just me or are there more cars around with one or both headlights dysfunctional than there used to be?

No I have also noticed far far more cars with defective lights. I counted 7 in a 150 mile journey last month and recall it was 1 and 2 about 3 years ago. OK counting things like this sad isn't it but hey, not so long ago I used to drive fast at night to stay alert

carrotchomper

18,331 posts

234 months

Saturday 12th May 2007
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Possibly because headlights are so fecking awkward to change on most modern cars perchance?

southpaw

5,999 posts

255 months

Sunday 13th May 2007
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I saw a truely amazing rear light configuration the other week on an old Punto (R/S reg IIRC, so no 3rd brake light). Normal lights were the brake lights on - I thought the lights seemed bright until they braked. At this point, both indicators came on constantly, the real brake lights went off, and the normal running lights came on. Unfortunately I can't remember what happened when they indicated, but I was laughing to the point of crying watching this Christmas tree-esque light display and wondering how it had gone so horribly wrong!

I also followed a 04 plate Picasso which has no brake lights at all - rather scary at first!