How long do points last for?

smokingman

Was doing 45mph and slowing down coming in to a country village (the road was wide and straight for about a mile) and the first time I've ever seen a cop in the village, he's positioned at the end of the straight with his little gun thing - I'm guessing I now have two points but can I ask how long they're on my licence for now?

is_that_so

3 years from date of issue which could be up to six months after the incident.

Fey!

They last 3 years from date of issue, not date of offence.

Was he using a camera or a laser? Did he pull you in?

If he was using a laser, he'd have to have pulled you in and shown you the readout. There aren't too many cameras in operation yet.

babaduck

I have a BIG problem with this whole date of issue thing. I got 2 points at the end of January, paid my fine within the 14 days & don't deny that I was speeding, so fair enough.

But why should there be a 5 month delay in issuing points - it adds almost 1/6th onto the lifetime of the penalty points. the DoE & Gardai are quick enough to point out that you must pay or or face additional penalties, so why should we have to wait so long before we actually receive the points?

I feel a letter to Dick Roche coming on....

smokingman

Cheers dude

smokingman

He got me with the laser thing but didn't pull me in though - does that mean I won't be getting that nasty little letter about points??


At least I think it was the laser thing - he was bent over a stone bridge aiming like a shotgun (put me off completely 'cause the village is known for it's shotgun mad looneys) and it was black and about the size of a "shoe-box for one shoe".....

Gateway

Happened to me going back about 3 months ago. I never got pulled in or recieved any fine so you should be ok.

safe speeding

smokingman

Cheers man, have to admit I was sh*tting it last night (never had any points before and I'm usually captain slow anyway).

Fingers crossed!

LostinBlanch

is_that_so wrote:

3 years from date of issue which could be up to six months after the incident.

I'm with babaduck on this. I think it is absolutely ludicrous that it can take up to 6 months for points to be issued. I think that someone could have grounds for a legal challenge because of this.

What if someone gets 12 points before being notified that they have any points on the licence? Wasn't there a woman last year who got 12 points in the space of a month as she had just moved house and was commuting to work via a different route. She got the points for going along a stretch of rd that was 60kph at about 65 - 70kph if I remember right. This case is an extreme example I know but I think it goes to prove my point.

Points are supposed to provide motivation for driver to modify their behaviour, and failure to notify a person in time deprives of the motivation to modify their behaviour.

Before any holier than thou types jump down my throat I'm a normal driver who doesn't have any points. Unless there's a nasty surprise in the post!

CLADA

In answer to the original post smokingman will not be getting any points. only FIXED ROADSIDE CAMERAS and GATSO sneak up on you in the post. When hand held speed detectors are in use the driver will be stopped by the detecting Garda.

Our man in Havana

All I can say is there will be a significant legal challenge in the courts soon. There is a big money person willing to take on the state. There will be a challenge to the consitutionality of the 2002/2004 Road Traffic Acts. Keep watching for Mary Wilson reporting from a certain District Court in the Midlands.

Fey!

Glad to hear that, Clada (I passed a speed trap yesterday, and I think I was doing around 110 in a 100 jst outside Loughrea. I'd normally be stuck on the 100kph mark, but was slowing after an overtake.)

dahamsta

LostinBlanch wrote:

I'm with babaduck on this. I think it is absolutely ludicrous that it can take up to 6 months for points to be issued. I think that someone could have grounds for a legal challenge because of this.

Babaduck has. Go for it babaduck.

LostinBlanch

Bond-007 wrote:

All I can say is there will be a significant legal challenge in the courts soon. There is a big money person willing to take on the state. There will be a challenge to the consitutionality of the 2002/2004 Road Traffic Acts. Keep watching for Mary Wilson reporting from a certain District Court in the Midlands.

I'm not surprised as our drink driving legislation is probably the most contested in the western world!

smokingman

LostinBlanch wrote:

I'm not surprised as our drink driving legislation is probably the most contested in the western world!

Yeah, that's a bloody joke to be honest! I still can't understand how people can still think they'll be grand driving under the influence in this day and age....bloody morons.

Mind you, the lawers also have a lot to do with this - as soon as a rich toff that had too many brandies gets caught, the highly paid layer will find a kink in the armour of the law and all of a sudden we have to have a supreme court decision on it!

grrrrr....

John R

Fey! wrote:

Glad to hear that, Clada (I passed a speed trap yesterday, and I think I was doing around 110 in a 100 jst outside Loughrea. I'd normally be stuck on the 100kph mark, but was slowing after an overtake.)

If your speedo read 110 you were most likely only doing around 100 anyway.