German cars & permanent indicators?

MattMattMattUK

Mildly_Miffed said:

Since when did illegality restrict the modifications some people choose to do...?

Exactly this. In the town where I live there are hundreds of illegally modified cars, from exhausts, to underglowing blue lights, to illegally bright headlights (and/or additional lights), to removed front (and occasionally rear) numberplates, to illegally tinted windows, to illegal bonnet scoops, to over width wheels which project significantly beyond the edge of the vehicle. That completely ignores the regular extreme speeding (60+ in a 30, 80+ in a 40 etc.), street racing, dangerous overtaking, using phones whilst driving, driving on the wrong side of the road, through red lights etc. 

The problem with all the driving issues at the moment is that regardless of potential penalties there is effectively zero enforcement so the law brakers can do what they want with absolute impunity. 

B0bbyEwing

Yeah legality isn't really an issue when it comes to cars. The police seem to pick & choose what they're bothered about regardless of how legal or illegal it is. 

Just try reporting someone for having no tax, no MOT or no insurance while driving on the road & see how you get on. They're generally not bothered.

And for anyone who wishes to jump in with the knee-jerk "there's no such thing as road tax" that instantly floods social media comments as soon as someone mentions tax & vehicles...... I never said road tax.  

paul_c123

Mildly_Miffed said:

Since when did illegality restrict the modifications some people choose to do...?

Traffic policing is spread too thin and delegated to camera.

That RVLR extract isn't the relevant one, though, since we're talking about amber not red. Amber to the front is not strictly speaking explicitly illegal under that particular section.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

For the avoidance of doubt, solid amber light at the front is NOT illegal. You said my quoted text isn't relevant but then linked to the very same text/legislation. If anyone knows of another piece of legislation which contradicts RVLR 1989 11 (1) then please post it.

Mildly_Miffed

paul_c123 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

Since when did illegality restrict the modifications some people choose to do...?

Traffic policing is spread too thin and delegated to camera.

That RVLR extract isn't the relevant one, though, since we're talking about amber not red. Amber to the front is not strictly speaking explicitly illegal under that particular section.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

For the avoidance of doubt, solid amber light at the front is NOT illegal. You said my quoted text isn't relevant but then linked to the very same text/legislation. If anyone knows of another piece of legislation which contradicts RVLR 1989 11 (1) then please post it.

You posted the specific extract from that section which refers to RED lights at the front, while we're talking about AMBER. I posted to the wider section.

paul_c123

Mildly_Miffed said:

paul_c123 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

Since when did illegality restrict the modifications some people choose to do...?

Traffic policing is spread too thin and delegated to camera.

That RVLR extract isn't the relevant one, though, since we're talking about amber not red. Amber to the front is not strictly speaking explicitly illegal under that particular section.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

For the avoidance of doubt, solid amber light at the front is NOT illegal. You said my quoted text isn't relevant but then linked to the very same text/legislation. If anyone knows of another piece of legislation which contradicts RVLR 1989 11 (1) then please post it.

You posted the specific extract from that section which refers to RED lights at the front, while we're talking about AMBER. I posted to the wider section.

Amber isn't red.

Or to put it another way: red lights to the front are illegal (except the exceptions, see legislation for details, none of which are relevant to the discussion). Anything that isn't red isn't illegal, so solid amber lights at the front are NOT illegal.

Mildly_Miffed

paul_c123 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

paul_c123 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

Since when did illegality restrict the modifications some people choose to do...?

Traffic policing is spread too thin and delegated to camera.

That RVLR extract isn't the relevant one, though, since we're talking about amber not red. Amber to the front is not strictly speaking explicitly illegal under that particular section.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

For the avoidance of doubt, solid amber light at the front is NOT illegal. You said my quoted text isn't relevant but then linked to the very same text/legislation. If anyone knows of another piece of legislation which contradicts RVLR 1989 11 (1) then please post it.

You posted the specific extract from that section which refers to RED lights at the front, while we're talking about AMBER. I posted to the wider section.

Amber isn't red.

Which is precisely why that section was irrelevant.

paul_c123

So perhaps the posters who have suggested this is illegal, can either quote the legislation which makes it so; or clarify which other mod they haven't mentioned so far, it is they are referring to.

sheramber

B0bbyEwing said:

Yeah legality isn't really an issue when it comes to cars. The police seem to pick & choose what they're bothered about regardless of how legal or illegal it is. 

Just try reporting someone for having no tax, no MOT or no insurance while driving on the road & see how you get on. They're generally not bothered.

And for anyone who wishes to jump in with the knee-jerk "there's no such thing as road tax" that instantly floods social media comments as soon as someone mentions tax & vehicles...... I never said road tax.  

Reported one 6 weeks ago. Clamped two days ago. 

B0bbyEwing

sheramber said:

B0bbyEwing said:

Yeah legality isn't really an issue when it comes to cars. The police seem to pick & choose what they're bothered about regardless of how legal or illegal it is. 

Just try reporting someone for having no tax, no MOT or no insurance while driving on the road & see how you get on. They're generally not bothered.

And for anyone who wishes to jump in with the knee-jerk "there's no such thing as road tax" that instantly floods social media comments as soon as someone mentions tax & vehicles...... I never said road tax.  

Reported one 6 weeks ago. Clamped two days ago. 

Well your guys are clearly doing their jobs right then. 

I've reported numerous. 

We don't deal with that was one departments response. That's funny because the government website specifically says report to the police. 

Dash cam footage sent in of people driving without tax AND mot, time & date stamps, people driving while holding out their mobile phone. 

Response - we don't deal with that and not enough evidence. 

facade

Mildly_Miffed said:

(Rather like increasing safety by having ultra bright red lights shining into your eyes at eye level whenever a car is stationary when even the stupidest numptie would have legislated for them to time out a few seconds after the car becomes stationary...)

...or the driver could put their handbrake on, rather than sit with their foot on the brake pedal.

I'm not sure having brake lights "time out" is the right answer.

I am

Just the supplementary ones designed to blind you at eye level.  The original purpose was supposed to be visible through the car in front (no-one thought of vans....) to give advance warning of braking, rather than to inform you that you were sitting behind an automatic/EV by leaving you with spots in front of your eyes when they have gone. They don't even need to work for the MOT, so they are hardly necessary.....

The obligatory ones can stay on, you can just roll forwards a couple more feet and get them below your bonnet line in a queue.

Actually, in The Olden Days when people cared about dazzle, (rather than just dismissing all the people complaining that massively more efficient point sources of light are too bright with "get your eyes tested" and "stop driving then")  my Triumph had a relay box in the boot that switched in some series resistors when the side lights were on to dim the obligatory brake lights (and the rear indicators IIRC) at night.