Traffic police, please note

L Galea

Sep 17th 2008, 16:36

@F Bonello
That's how it should be done and how it used to be done before the wardens were introduced.

Thumbs up to the police officer.

As an aside, if I remember correctly, bulbs were considered so fragile that international regulations required radio officers to keep 3 of each lamp used in radio equipment on board ships as spares.

I marvel at how efficient lamps have become since considering the state of our feathered tarmac roads they seem to last for quite a long time.

L Galea

Sep 17th 2008, 13:34

@Nicholas B. Dougall
In that case, let them prove that you have not checked the lights before you went out with your car and the bulb has not malfunctioned after you started driving. They are accusing so they have to prove the impossible.

F Bonello

Sep 17th 2008, 13:27

@ Nicholas B. Douglas

Sometime ago while returning home form work at night, I was stopped in a road block just behind Naxxar Parish Church. The police officer went round my car and when he appoached me at the driver's side, he politely told me, "Mister, the rear right bulb is spent. Kindly change it". On seeing such a polite officer, I just said, "So sorry. I did not know about. it"

Well every one is certain that not all people are polite, but I regret that I did not notice the officer number so that I will name him. Such officers deserve to be congratulated and are an asset to the Police Corp.

Phil Press

Sep 17th 2008, 13:01

@ Joe neither is it applicable to drivers, around Nadur in the early hours of the morning. Some have no lights, at all.

M.Degiorgio

Sep 17th 2008, 12:17

Nowadays, most modern cars are equipped with systems indicating bulb failure (mine is and it's over 10 years old) , therefore unless the car is not equipped, there should be no excuse for this to happen. Of course, it is understandable that with the Maltese import tax system on cars it is logical that while this is supposedly keeping the number of cars in Malta lower! it is surely contributing in keeping them older, hence, less equipped, less economical and more pollutant.

Joe Tabone-Adami

Sep 17th 2008, 12:00

Four decades of driving have taught me that traffic regulations are certainly not applicable to police drivers - especially traffic police. Why worry?

David Martinelli

Sep 17th 2008, 11:53

If there are two officers in a police vehicle, a simple walk around the vehicle for inspection is required before departing. 10 seconds tops. This will ensure the safety of police officers before there shift begins.

Nicholas B. Dougall

Sep 17th 2008, 10:57

Dear Nathan,
None the less, if a warden or policeman for that matter sees you driving without any light functioning you will receive a nice citation no matter when the bulb stopped functioning!

Nathan Young

Sep 17th 2008, 10:16

If you test your lights before you start driving and all lights are working, a bulb can malfunction whilst you are driving and the driver would not be aware of this. An exception to this is an indicator which would click faster thus indicating that something is wrong with system.