Your opinions please

[andrewlee31]

just written this off to Honest John from the daily telegraph

Hi John,

First time writing, but have been a follwer of your fine column for many a year. Tonight I had a meeting with our boys in blue, and they have raised an issue with me that I would like your opinion on if you have a moment.

I drive a 1994 toyota hilux. and as this vehicle has really poor headlights I have fitted a set of PIAA dip/main beam driving lights fitted above the bumper of my vehicle. Which are correctly fitted and adjusted as are my dip beam headlights. I passed the MOT test with them fitted and turned onto dip. The Mot tester informed me it was just another headlight as I raised this with him. The police however pulled me up from behind without even looking at them informed me they were fog lights and I was breaking the law and would I kindly give them £30. They would not hear any argument that they were tested and correctly adjusted. In fact they wouldn't even leave their warm police car as it was raining.

Now if i am correct in my thinking i will gladly go to court and make my arguement before the magistrate, but i would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this matter.


Yours

Andrew Lee







you can call me a blinding idiot if you like, but i honestly think im doing no wrong here, i may well be completly on the wrong side of the law. bit what do you think??

[ohsupremebeing]

I had the same thing happen to me too. Spots with sidelight bulbs in them did not matter turn them off or get a fine. Jobs worth I thought.

[Koi]

in the first case
two and not more may be fitted and the only requirements prescribed by these Regulations in respect of any which are fitted with more than two are that their electrical connections are such that not more than one pair of dipped-beam headlamps is capable of being illuminated at a time.

second case - as long as the side light in the spot does not exceed 5w then your OK

think thats about right, can go more in depth with where they can be fitted, maximum, minimum height etc etc etc

[Mike Fraser]

Interesting! As I've mentioned on here before, I have an old Reliant Scimitar SE5A & for those of you who don't know the car, it's the original sporting estate! It has 4 of the old style 6" round headlights (bit like old Capris') which, again because of poor night time visibility, I decided to rewire. I've set them up as 4 sidelights, 4 dipped beams & 4 main beams & this resolved the problem no end. I've had the car MOT'd twice with this set up & never had a problem. I've certainly never had a problem with police pulling me over. Perhaps because the original design was for 4 headlights, it's acceptable. I'd be tempted to cite cars like mine and Capris as established precedent.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Interesting! As I've mentioned on here before, I have an old Reliant Scimitar SE5A & for those of you who don't know the car, it's the original sporting estate! It has 4 of the old style 6" round headlights (bit like old Capris') which, again because of poor night time visibility, I decided to rewire. I've set them up as 4 sidelights, 4 dipped beams & 4 main beams & this resolved the problem no end. I've had the car MOT'd twice with this set up & never had a problem. I've certainly never had a problem with police pulling me over. Perhaps because the original design was for 4 headlights, it's acceptable. I'd be tempted to cite cars like mine and Capris as established precedent.

[da SLUG man]

the MOT doesn't say whether the lights are legal... only that they're working and pointing the right direction.

you've modified the vehicle from the manufacturers original specification, so if it went to court, they'd want proof that it's a legal modification (possibly an engineers report), and that your insurance knows about it!

[Mike Fraser]

Shame on you, Bushwhacker! That's a SE6b. A fat, bloated slug in comparison to the lithe, much better handling SE5a. It's a bit like talking about a 2nd Gen & posting a picture of a 3rd Gen.

[BUSHWHACKER]

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk...spx?ItemID=534

Spot lights
Spot lights or additional headlights can only be used in a pair and in conjunction with full beam headlights and should not be capable of being illuminated without the operation of the obligatory headlights.






Sorry Mike, how's this one?...

[da SLUG man]

Mike, how's this one?...

looks like a morris marina!

[AndyLala]

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk...spx?ItemID=534

Spot lights
Spot lights or additional headlights can only be used in a pair and in conjunction with full beam headlights and should not be capable of being illuminated without the operation of the obligatory headlights.

Oooops, mine can come on with the dipped... need to investigate that wiring again... when I can get mobile....

[angusglover]

Shame on you, Bushwhacker! That's a SE6b. A fat, bloated slug in comparison to the lithe, much better handling SE5a. It's a bit like talking about a 2nd Gen & posting a picture of a 3rd Gen.

Are you implying that the 3rd Gen is a slug compared to the 2nd Gen? I have had both and my 3rd Gen is much faster...

[da SLUG man]

Are you implying that the 3rd Gen is a slug compared to the 2nd Gen? I have had both and my 3rd Gen is much faster...

at least neither of them look like a morris marina!

[Mike Fraser]

at least neither of them look like a morris marina!

This from a man that admits to owning an Audi 80?

And, no, I wasn't suggesting a 3rd Gen was a slug, I was saying a SE6b is a slug in comparison to a SE5a!

[Wild Thing]

This from a man that admits to owning an Audi 80?

And, no, I wasn't suggesting a 3rd Gen was a slug, I was saying a SE6b is a slug in comparison to a SE5a!

Isn't Audi pronounced " Oh dear "

[Mike Fraser]

No. I think its pronounced 'OLD DEAR'