GARDAÍ ISSUED 317 fines to motorists driving in vehicles with defective lights over two days last month.
Operation Light Up was held on 20 and 21 Feburary to tackle the growing problem of broken and missing front and back lights.
The Garda Press Office said it appreciated some motorists are under financial constraints but emphasised the legal requirement that a vehicle’s lights and lamps are all in working order.
More than 1,300 cars were stopped because of issues with lights. The majority (1,089) were just given advice by the garda but 317 were issued with fixed charge notices.
The most common problem was having no working right front lamp with 114 offences recorded. Counties in the south of the country noted the highest incidence of problems with 508 cars stopped and 128 fines issued.
Some offences were detected during daylight hours and it was deemed appropriate that it be dealt with by way of advice to motorists, according to gardaí.
So far this year, 40 people have lost their lives on Irish roads. This is a fact that cannot be ignored, said Assistant Commissioner Gerard Phillips.
“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.”
He said the operation last month was about raising awareness rather than doling out fines.
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. We would like to express our thanks to the public for their support of operation Light Up. Initiatives such as these ultimately help make our vehicles and roads safer for all.
RSA chief Noel Brett added that the number of drivers being prosecuted was “disappointing”.
“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.”
During January, 184 people were caught for driving dangerously while 641 drivers were found to be driving while intoxicated.
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