Gardaí to target drivers with faulty headlights

Gardaí will begin targeting vehicles with broken or inappropriate lighting as part of Operation Light Up today and tomorrow.

With vehicles with only one headlight or tail light regularly seen on the roads, gardaí are concerned that the situation is creating a significant danger to all road users.

Gardaí will also be targeting the inappropriate use of fog lights, which must only be used in fog or falling snow.

Some motorists, however, are using fog lights when a dipped headlight beam is broken.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Gerard Phillips said too many people were lax about replacing a broken lightbulb.

He said gardaí continually received complaints about drivers using fog lights on the front and back of their vehicles when there was no fog or snow.

The chief executive of the Road Safety Authority, Noel Brett, said there had been a marked increase in the number of vehicles failing the National Car Test or Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test because of defective lights.

Last year, 555,000 cars were found to have defective lights during an NCT — one in five of the cars on the road nationwide.

Motorists face an on-the-spot fine of €60 for having defective lights or lights that are not working on their vehicles.

Drivers can also be prosecuted for using fog lamps on their vehicles when they are not required, because they can dazzle other drivers and cause accidents.

Mr Brett said 2013 had not got off to a good start for road safety, with 31 deaths — an increase of 13 on the corresponding period last year.

“We are carefully analysing every collision to try and see can we identify any trend or pattern, or anything that can be done to reverse this pattern.

“I’ve said before that the greatest risk we now face daily, when using the roads, is complacency. Using the roads is still the most dangerous thing we do every day, irrespective of age. We need to remember this, whether driving, cycling, or walking.”