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Seen it all now - no lights

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  • 24-10-2007 9:35am
    #1
    Padraig Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 9,563 ✭✭✭


    Heading to work this morning, approx 7.40 am. Virtually pitch black. Driving along a windy single carriageway road. What did I meet? A tractor towing a large rubble trailer. With NO lights on - none whatsoever. Seriously, is it any wonder there's so many collisions on the roads with people pulling crap like this?


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    #2
    BrianD3
    Registered Users Posts: 8,392 ✭✭✭BrianD3


    I have stated on this forum before that IME the majority of tractor/trailers on the road are unroadworthy. Non working lights in the dark, broken indicators, broken mirrors, broken windscreen wipers, no numberplates etc. I drive over 30k miles a year and if I see a tractor/trailer with working indicators it's a major surprise.

    Garda Traffic Corps seems to have no interest in doing anything about this.

    Rant here
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055049702


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    #3
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,727 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Did you report it Padraig?
    Garda Trafficwatch - 1890205805 - save it in your mobile!


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    #4
    gyppo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,648 ✭✭✭gyppo


    Similar incident on the N6 monday evening - a guy towing a trailer with a large cargo of round bales. Now in fairness, his tractor was well lit up. But there was no lights whatsoever on the trailer, and the load obscured the rear lights on the tractor.
    6.45pm on a drizzly monday evening, light failing rapidly, and you coming up behind him - practically impossible to spot.


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    #5
    Padraig Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 9,563 ✭✭✭Padraig Mor


    kbannon wrote: »
    Did you report it Padraig?
    Garda Trafficwatch - 1890205805 - save it in your mobile!

    I would have but I didn't catch his number plate - probably because he had no lights! BTW didn't they shut down TrafficWatch or is it on the go again?


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    #6
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,727 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Last time I called (about 3 weeks ago) it was working fine.


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    #7
    el tel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,991 ✭✭✭el tel


    Thread title is a nice paradox...


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    #8
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    dont forget them being overloaded the number of times i come round the corner on my road and theres a load of gravel on the road thats come of a goliath trailer really annoying and why are kids allowed to drive them anyway.

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #9
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,711 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    Stealth mode. I love it.


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    #10
    johnnyrotten
    Registered Users Posts: 3,593 ✭✭✭johnnyrotten


    Lights? ah sure that would be a waste of electricity, he has to think of the enviornment! - Rolls eyes -


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    #11
    BanzaiBk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,285 ✭✭✭BanzaiBk


    I nearly crashed into a tractor and bale trailer on Mon. morning on the old airport road in Cork on my way towards Wilton because of no lights. 7.30ish am, really dark and as I take the right turn up the road I think I see a black blur and then I realised what it was. I nearly had to swerve into the hedge to avoid hitting the front of the tractor and the driver had the nerve to start yelling out his window at me! I wasn't aware of the Garda traffic watch number...until now:D


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    #12
    gyppo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,648 ✭✭✭gyppo


    ednwireland wrote: »
    why are kids allowed to drive them anyway.

    Good point. Every silage season you see young lads thinking they're Ben Hur driving huge tractors. I know the braking system on modern tractors are very good, but a large tractor with a fully laden trailer still takes some stopping. And yet its legal for an inexperienced 16yo to drive them??
    Something wrong there.


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    #13
    Cmar-Ireland
    Registered Users Posts: 2,340 ✭✭✭Cmar-Ireland


    Similar story, but not with tractors...
    I've seen 4 or 5 car coming out of petrol stations and the like with no lights on, on these dark mornings. People just forgetting to switch on the lights, due to the forecourt land street lighting.

    Then they flip you the bird if you flash the lights at them :rolleyes:


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    #14
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,992 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    The other extreme is, of course, the lads who turn the light switch all the way to position 4 instead of 2 and blind everyone in front and behind with the field lights (illegally) on!
    gyppo wrote:
    yet its legal for an inexperienced 16yo to drive them??
    ...and perfectly legal for a 16 year old to operate a tractor with two trailers up to a maximun length of 75 feet once they avoid towns with populations exceeding 10,000 people! ;)


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    #15
    jrar
    Registered Users Posts: 795 ✭✭✭jrar


    Padraig Mor wrote: »
    Heading to work this morning, approx 7.40 am. Virtually pitch black. Driving along a windy single carriageway road. What did I meet? A tractor towing a large rubble trailer. With NO lights on - none whatsoever. Seriously, is it any wonder there's so many collisions on the roads with people pulling crap like this?

    Tractors and agricultural vehicles should have flashing amber lights on the cab roof thereby making them visible from some distance. Not sure if it's the law in France, but I've yet to see one the move there day or night that didn't have such lights.


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    #16
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,992 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    jrar wrote: »
    Tractors and agricultural vehicles should have flashing amber lights on the cab roof thereby making them visible from some distance.
    It's illegal in Ireland for a tractor to have an operating warning beacon.


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    #17
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    Strangely enough there aren't many reported accidents of people running into unlighted tractors.


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    #18
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,992 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    On a similar subject, has anyone ever met a normally lit tractor at night only to discover that it is towing a large square baler which protrudes a few feet out. A white light on the edge of the baler wouldn't go astray.


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    #19
    Rippy
    Registered Users Posts: 966 ✭✭✭Rippy


    [QUOTE

    ...and perfectly legal for a 16 year old to operate a tractor with two trailers up to a maximun length of 75 feet once they avoid towns with populations exceeding 10,000 people! ;)[/QUOTE]

    I often see huge tractors towing trailers with massive excavators or other plant on them. Also big trailer loads of soil , rock gravel etc. At least as much as a 16 tonne tipper truck load. I assume these guys do'nt need a HGV (lgv) licence or have to meet the many other legal reguirements that normal large trucks would have to comply with? If so, I think this is a loophole that needs closing quickly!


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