Motorists in south worst offenders for defective lights, say gardaí
More than 500 southern drivers were detected with defective, broken or missing lights last month as part of ‘Operation Light-Up’.
While 380 of those received a caution, 128 faced prosecution or were given an on-the-spot fine.
In contrast, motorists in Dublin were the best behaved nationally, with only 139 found to have broken or defective lights.
So far this year, 39 people have lost their lives on the country’s roads — 14 more than the same period last year.
The two-day operation was carried out at locations across the country on Feb 20 and 21. More than 1,300 cars were stopped because of issues with lights. The majority (1,089) were let off with a warning by gardaí but 317 were issued with fixed charge notices.
Gardaí specifically targeted and intercepted drivers who had defective lighting, or were using them inappropriately.
One third of vehicles stopped were found to have no front lamp on the driver’s side.
Assistant Commissioner Gerard Phillips said: “We cannot ignore the fact that as of today, 39 people have lost their lives, which is 14 more than this period last year. We appeal to the public to get the basics right — slow down, wear your seatbelts always and make yourself as visible as possible when walking or cycling.
“An Garda Síochána will, through enforcement and education, ensure compliance with all road traffic laws, thereby ensuring safer roads for all, but ultimately we need the public’s help and support in doing so.”
Commissioner Phillips said the safety initiative was more about raising awareness of the issue, and getting drivers and riders to rectify their defects, rather than detections made.
“Although there were 317 prosecutions detected, many people took our advice and rectified their defect or the inappropriate use of fog lights or fog lamps beforehand. Initiatives such as these ultimately help make our vehicles and roads safer for all.”
Noel Brett, CEO of the Road Safety Authority, said: “While it is disappointing to see so many drivers being prosecuted for serious vehicle lighting defects, it is important to realise that it is a very serious road safety issue. For example a car driving in the dark with a broken headlight could easily be mistaken for a motorcyclist. The consequences of this happening are unthinkable.
“That’s why I would urge drivers to set aside a couple of minutes before a journey to perform a quick check of their vehicle lights. A couple of minutes that will give you peace of mind knowing you are not facing a fine, prosecution or worse, being responsible for a crash further down the road.
“In addition the misuse of front and rear fog lights is also a serious problem as such lights can dazzle and blind drivers. They should only be used in snow or foggy conditions and be switched off afterwards,” he said.
