so saturday i left k/w around 9 and just as i turn on my lights one blows, so whatever i'll just replace it tomorrow when stuff is open. so i'm heading home to london, get pulled over for it in woodstock and get a ticket around 10, even though i explain to him that it just blew an hour before and i have no way to fix it until the next day.

but heres the thing, i have a safety that i just passed on thursday, which proves that my light hasn't been out more than 2 days, do you think this would be worth while to show to a judge?

and don't give me the "just pay the ticket and stop whining" schpeal, i'm a college student, $110 makes a big difference to me.

thanks.

well seeing as everything was more than likely closed so you have no really way to get a headlight, and you have the saftey stating that it did pass a saftey 2 days earlier i don't see why you could show the judge and possibly get the ticket dropped.

Walmart Automotive is still open at 9...But I'm sure as a student you didn't know.

Personally, I have spare bulbs in my car...

Originally Posted by AdamCL

Walmart Automotive is still open at 9...But I'm sure as a student you didn't know.

Personally, I have spare bulbs in my car...

He just said that the bulb blew at shortly after he left Kitchener waterloo at 9.
There for the bulb blew at 9 or shortly after. The chances of him being right beside a walmart and them letting him delay the time they close to find a proper bulb is very unlikely.

Chances are he was on the highway heading to london as he said in his post, "On my way home to london." I don't know of to many walmarts right beside the highway.


I think you should fight the ticket. It sounds to me like you have a good chance and worst case scenario it doesn't get dropped and you wasted a day in court and have to pay the ticket.

Ya, bring the safety certificate, explain that it just blew, and show the receipt from buying the new bulb. That should be all you need!

fight it, easy chance you will win!

Originally Posted by AdamCL

Walmart Automotive is still open at 9...But I'm sure as a student you didn't know.

Personally, I have spare bulbs in my car...

OK!!!! i'll just drive to walmart from the middle of no where, get into the store and purchase a headlight in negative 10 minutes since it actually blew a little after 9. how many times did your parents drop you on your head as a baby?

go street racing and hit some more pedestrians, k? you have nothing of value to post here.

i applogize for not keeping awkwardly large sealed beam headlights rolling around in the trunk of the car that i just bought a week ago.

anyway, thanks for the replies guys, i think i'm going to book a court appointment tomorrow morning.

I don't see why it wouldn't work. If you have the proof, then prove it.

Did you admit to the officer that you knew it was out?
If you did then you don't have a leg to stand on besides the Safety which lasts for 30 days.

For everyone else out there reading this. The only defence that you have to this ticket is when the officer asks you if you know that your headlight is out.

Your response is:

"No. I didn't know it was out cause it was working when I checked all my lights before I got in the car"

It is your responsibilty to make sure your vehicle is in full working order before you put it on the highway/street. That is what the officer will say. That is what the Crown Prosecuter will say. That is the only defense to that ticket in 99% of the situations.

In this situation though. That safety "may" come into play since you admitted to the officer that you knew the light was out.
Technically if a light is out you should NOT have the car on the road (ie: the car will not pass a safety in that state according to the O'reg 611).

I went through this last season. I know how this goes.
Good luck

Funny, I saw a cop car this past week driving around with a headlight out.

funny thing i was drivin my beater back from work and admitted my headlight was out but they let me off... i just have to say you got a prick of an officer

Originally Posted by 96escortlx

Ya, bring the safety certificate, explain that it just blew, and show the receipt from buying the new bulb. That should be all you need!

Buy a spare bulb and tell the judge that you now carry a spare in the glove box, and show the receipt for the 2 bulbs. It shows that it was something that couldn't be avoided, but now you're prepared for the next time. That way all your angles are covered.

i was pulled over before for a burnt out headlight, but the guy said get it fixed and let me go.

Originally Posted by Kace

Funny, I saw a cop car this past week driving around with a headlight out.

so did i... in the westmount/ ottawa area

Originally Posted by Slawek

i was pulled over before for a burnt out headlight, but the guy said get it fixed and let me go.

You should have pulled him over

Good evening officer, I stopped you today due to one of your headlights not working properly. You are contravening the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, Section 62(1). May I have your license and registration please?

Originally Posted by Kace

Funny, I saw a cop car this past week driving around with a headlight out.

As did I. When I was in Woodstock a couple of weeks ago. IRONIC!

Cop might not have been a prick (though it always seems that way when you're the one getting the ticket, it's happened to me too) he might have just been trying to ramp up his number of tickets before the end of his month. They have a certain "acceptable" number they need to write each month. Hence why some people get off, some don't for the same offenses.

Joy. It's like winning the lottery or not even getting a free ticket. Best of luck man.

Originally Posted by kuntzie

so did i... in the westmount/ ottawa area

i think we might have seen the same cop, saw the same area

Originally Posted by NightRiderWS6

Cop might not have been a prick (though it always seems that way when you're the one getting the ticket, it's happened to me too) he might have just been trying to ramp up his number of tickets before the end of his month. They have a certain "acceptable" number they need to write each month. Hence why some people get off, some don't for the same offenses.

Joy. It's like winning the lottery or not even getting a free ticket. Best of luck man.

no they don't. but nice try.

^ ever thought that some of them hav personal goals? Like if I was a cop im sure I would monitor how many tickets I handed out and what not. I'm sure they frown upon a traffic cop to give 0 tickets in a month. "Johnston, what are paying you for?" "Chief I can't force people to break the law" *chief hands a baggie of white substance to Johnston...*

Exactly. Some cops have dry spells and will start writing silly but legitamate tickets when they haven't done so in a long while.