Penalty Points Question

tuckster

Got caught speeding in June 06 (slightly over the limit but far enough the gardai have their quotas and easy spots to catch us!). Anyway just received notice of the 2 penalty points and the notification states the points will remain on the entry for a period of three years from "first day of holding a new license".

A friend of mine was caught in the past and he had a specific date as to when the points came into effect (a month or two after the offence). Has this changed?

I have a valid current license that is not due to expire for another year. Why are the point not applied now?

Any info appreciated.

shamwari

There are two reasons why the application of penalty points are deffered. Firstly you could have a situation where someone who is already on 10/11 points and commits another offence would therefore be driving whilst technically banned, but they would not realise this until notification were received. Therefore a driver must be notified beforehand that the points are being applied so as to avoid driving whilst banned

Secondly, a driver must be afforded the option to contest the notice / offence and go before the courts if they so wish.

Seth Brundle

That doesn't explain why a driver on a valid licence is told that their points will not be applied until they renew their licence in a years time.

tuckster

Just to point out, I have no other driving offenses and the notice states I only have 2 points (including the current offence) => thus 1 speeding offence of 2 points. So the question is why are they telling me my points will not be applied until I get a new license (my current valid license does not expire until the end of 2007).

is_that_so

The only conclusion is that a 3 year penalty cannot be applied to a licence that will only be valid for a year. Don't the points apply to a specific licence number?

TheNog

tuckster wrote:

Got caught speeding in June 06 (slightly over the limit but far enough the gardai have their quotas and easy spots to catch us!).

Why do people believe that we have quotas to meet??? Where did it come from?

Usually Gardai give drivers an extra 10kph on top of the posted speed limit (on an open road only ), some even give 20kph. Last week on the M1 (120kph limit) we were looking for people driving at over 140kph and in the half hour we were there we caught 6 people. And that was at 5am.

AlekSmart

The quota thing is indeed interesting as the individual Garda is technically fully independent in the performance of his/her duties.

However I would be very surprised if when the divisional Senior Officers have their meetings with the Departmental Ofeeecials and assorted other liasons,that the need for accurate "Figures" is not discussed.

One can just imagine a suave sober suited Senior Civil Servant remarking to nobody in particular that a certain level of "Concern" exists regarding the low-level of detection/prosecution/conviction in a particular area,be that Geographical or Administrative.

One would then prob need to investigate how the deployment and tasking of Members would perhaps subtly alter to devote more time to,for example,Speed Detection..?

But then the entire thrust of Traffic Policing in the State is moving away from the present Manual style and strongly embracing the electronic and efficient "Electronic" methods.

If one is into revenue collection then any manual type such as being stopped and written-up by a Garda is SO not efficient,and probably costs far more to administer than any actual fine paid over.

Full Automation is the way forward and that is without doubt the mantra in several sections of Policing related Govt Departments at present.
:rolleyes:

MrPudding

is_that_so wrote:

The only conclusion is that a 3 year penalty cannot be applied to a licence that will only be valid for a year. Don't the points apply to a specific licence number?

The new license will have the same number though, will it not?

Perhaps they simply do not have a method to allow the points to be transferred to the new license. Bad admin?

MrP

SeanW

I have a question. Supposing, hypothetically, that the OP deecided to use public transport after 2007 and didn't renew his/her license for a number of years. How long can the deferred penalty points business be dragged out?

Wishbone Ash

SeanW wrote:

I have a question. Supposing, hypothetically, that the OP deecided to use public transport after 2007 and didn't renew his/her license for a number of years. How long can the deferred penalty points business be dragged out?

AFAIK it can be indefinite but if the OP let it lapse for more than 10 years he/she would have to resit the test for each desired category. I think that would concentrate the mind more than a few penalty points. If they did not need the licence, it would make more sense to renew it anyway as the points time can be ticking away harmlessly.

MrPudding wrote:

The new license will have the same number though, will it not?

Yes.

mackerski

SeanW wrote:

I have a question. Supposing, hypothetically, that the OP deecided to use public transport after 2007 and didn't renew his/her license for a number of years. How long can the deferred penalty points business be dragged out?

So to avoid 2 penalty points hitting your licence (10 more of which would leave you disqualified), you'd pretty much voluntarily disqualify yourself? There's a nifty loophole I hadn't really considered.

Dermot

Simon201

"will remain on the entry for a period of three years from the first day of holding a new license"

Jeez! thats great... if this is correct then the 2 points that it looks like I'm gonna get for speeding wont go on my licence till I have to renew in 2013! - by that time I reckon I'll be nearly retired from driving or there wont be any such thing as driving in Dublin cos it'll just be total gridlock all the time!!

SeanW

mackerski wrote:

So to avoid 2 penalty points hitting your licence (10 more of which would leave you disqualified), you'd pretty much voluntarily disqualify yourself? There's a nifty loophole I hadn't really considered.

I wasn't suggesting that the OP do this, I was asking hypothetically, if for example, someone got this note, and the expiry of their license happened to coincide with a new Metro stop outside their front door to work, overhauled bus etc, and one decided to give up driving for a few years.

Theoretically, could "not till your next license" points carry the full < 10 years that one can renew it in?