@ranwhenparked
Of course they're important. But:
There's a difference between illumination and indication. 50% of your headlight beam is a lot less light for you to see things by, and also pretty obvious you have an issue. Unless it literally just happened and you're heading out to get a bulb, some consequences are reasonable. A brake light is for indication only, and there are three of them. One out is less than ideal, but still enough to fulfil its purpose.
Again, context matters. Did you just get busted for it a week ago, fixed it and now our friendly officer tells you it's out again? That's pretty clearly a problem, and needs fixed. Third time ticket seems reasonable. But if they pick you up a year from now, instead... You have no idea. That could be a bad bulb. It could be faulty wiring. Or, it could have been out for months and just not had any cop notice. My money would be on a bad bulb at that point, after all, I've been busted twice for this in the last year, the cops must be pretty vigilant on atuff like that around here right? I'd assume that the bulb had only just gone out, and my "fix" would be a more reputable brand of bulb instead of the bargain basement bulb I would likely put in the first time. And so again, I think I've fixed it... And will continue to think so until I'm pulled over again and ticketed because "that's enough warnings".
I just find it hard to justify handing out tickets for situations reasonable people could easily find themselves in completely unknowingly. You don't see the back of your vehicle when you're inside it after all.
All in all though, I don't think warnings are the best solution. As there's no way for the cop to get inside your head, and no way to prove you did the work, you could end up getting rather unfair tickets... Or someone else could be getting totally unfair warnings. I'm with whatever administration @trivet is in, "fix-it" tickets are the best way. If you did literally anything to fix, it's already proven. If not, get your wallet out again.
