Just got pulled over by the Guards, please help

2981-awny

I was just driving home from college there and I forgot to put my seatbelt on. A garda told me to pull over. Took my licence(provisional) went to the back of my car for a while(im guessing to take my reg) than gave me back my licence told me his name and told me to go.

What happens now? Will I get penalty points and/or pay a fine? Will i be notified? I read online that if you dont pay an fee of €90 within a month you are summoned to court. Im very confused. Suggestions would be very helpful.

Mr Magnolia

I'd say it's in the post. You could try contacting his station and ask the question.

You'll get good advice here too: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=10&f=47

connundrum

You'll get notification in the post, you usually have the set amount of days to pay the fine from the time the notification is received (I thought it was 28 days but could be more??). Then the points will be added to your licence once you pay the fine.

Failure to pay the fine within the 1st set period (28 or 90 days) will result in the fine being increased (doubled if I'm not mistaken). Failure to pay beyond that will result in a court date where your points tally and fine may be increased.

Just sit tight and wait for notification

2981-awny

How much do you think my insurance will go up by?

Marksie

2981-awny wrote:

What happens now? Will I get penalty points and/or pay a fine? Will i be notified? I read online that if you dont pay an fee of €90 within a month you are summoned to court. Im very confused. Suggestions would be very helpful.

You will recieve notification in the post. you know its coming and you can put money aside. Unfortunately an expensive mistake.

Tobias Greeshman

Yeah you definitely got penalty points. Have a look on the Penalty Points site for more details.

As far as I know the fee is only €60, but don't hold me to that. As long as you pay the fine once it comes in the post, that should be all you have to do.

[edit]Some insurance policies allow for up to 2 penalty points without it affecting your premiums. With so many people getting points for speeding it makes sense to have something like this. AFAIK it's up to you to inform your insurance company, the gardai won't.

Big Nelly

Well done Garda, they seem to be stamping down on this with the recent thread on here with the driver pulled for using the mobile. About time.

Just out of interest where you supposed to have a full license driver with you as you are a provisional driver?

is_that_so

You will have 28 days from the date of the notice to pay the fine. Points will not be notified for 4-6 months ( my own experience) so you do not have to notify your insurance company until you actually have points. As posted many companies will not penalise people for 2 points. It had no effect on my insurance.

foxy06

If you only have two points it shouldn't affect your insurance. It will take up to six weeks to get the notification in the post and you have a few weeks to pay it. You don't need to do anything until then. Your points probably won't come into effect until a few weeks after you have paid the fine.

Duckjob

Big Nelly wrote:

Well done Garda, they seem to be stamping down on this with the recent thread on here with the driver pulled for using the mobile. About time.

Just out of interest where you supposed to have a full license driver with you as you are a provisional driver?

Doesn't sound like he was very professional about it though if he didnt bother explaining the situation and left the OP in confusion about what's going to happen.

In the UK, the traffic police always give you the courtesy of explaining why you were pulled over and whats going to happen next. They don't treat you like
something they stood in just because you've committed a driving offense.

Zambia

I got a ticket before for speeding. However you are issued an actual ticket into your hand, if this Garda was giving you a ticket he should have done so.

Chances are you are on a first provisional he saw that you where, realised he should really instruct you to get out and walk. Took pity on you/hated paperwork and sent you on your way.

Otherwise the postie will let you know.

Two pionts are not a insurance killer , I dont know if they count more at your age.

Big Nelly

Duckjob wrote:

Doesn't sound like he was very professional about it though if he didnt bother explaining the situation and left the OP in confusion about what's going to happen.

In the UK, the traffic police always give you the courtesy of explaining why you were pulled over and whats going to happen next. They don't treat you like
something they stood in just because you've committed a driving offense.

He knows its for driving without belt so this was explained. Bet alot more was explained but of course this will be left out cause it wsa the big bad garda taking advantage of the poor young driver. Why using the UK cops as a guide is beyond me as they are notorious for been brutal but sure they aint Irish so they are 10 times better. Sure they are great, they leave Irish sitting in jail for years when they know they are innocent. Great police force alright!!!

Everything now is loaded onto a PDA byt the Garda and you dont get a written ticket to cut down on the paper work like someone else suggested here. If this person is a provisional driver then they should know the rules and have a fair idea of points etc. As seen but this post he doesn't know he/she should wear a seat belt and doesn't know what happens when they get stopped. Looks to me that he/she doesnt know enough to be allowed on the road in the first place

This should also be in the motors forum.

~Leanne~

Happened me last year i got pulled for no seatbelt, i was just leaving one building in an industrial est and entering another - but anyway he took my reg etc and said i would get €80 and 2 points.

A year on and i have received nothing!

And with 2 points your insurance wont go up. Its usually 4 or more.

Duckjob

Big Nelly wrote:

He knows its for driving without belt so this was explained. Bet alot more was explained but of course this will be left out cause it wsa the big bad garda taking advantage of the poor young driver.

Why using the UK cops as a guide is beyond me as they are notorious for been brutal but sure they aint Irish so they are 10 times better. Sure they are great, they leave Irish sitting in jail for years when they know they are innocent. Great police force alright!!!

First of all, the OP didnt post to give out about the Gardai, they apparently posted because they were confused as to what's going to happen to them. This is something the garda should have clarified.

I'm not even get into the silliness of mixing up the british police force with the british justice system. If you want to jump on that particular soapbox you can do so by yourself.

aodhu

Doesn't seem right that he didn't explain what he pulled you for!

wyndham

Big Nelly wrote:

He knows its for driving without belt so this was explained. Bet alot more was explained but of course this will be left out cause it wsa the big bad garda taking advantage of the poor young driver. Why using the UK cops as a guide is beyond me as they are notorious for been brutal but sure they aint Irish so they are 10 times better. Sure they are great, they leave Irish sitting in jail for years when they know they are innocent. Great police force alright!!!

wtf??????

Somebody has a lot of issues.

OP- You may or may not get a fixed penalty notice in the post. If you do pay the fine and the points should not affect your insurance, provided you don't add any more to them. It's nothing to worry about.

Alun

aodhu wrote:

Doesn't seem right that he didn't explain what he pulled you for!

This is a common, re-occurring theme on the Motors forum. Someone gets stopped for a usually minor offence, Garda mumbles something incomprehensible including the word 'caution' and then waves them on their merry way leaving them in doubt as to whether they're actually being 'done' for anything at all, but assuming that because it wasn't actually spelled out that they got away with it. Then, x months down the line a nasty letter drops through the letterbox with a fine and penalty points.

Now, why is it so difficult for the Garda to just come out and tell them what the situation is and whats going to happen, like (dare I say it) they do not only in the UK, but in couple of other EU countries I've had experiences in?

layke

G'luck mate. Hope you get away with it although I wouldn't worry too much though. You don't get asked about points until you change insurance company anyway. your supposed to inform them that you have points or they can null and void your policy.

Sp@rtacus

He let you off the hook. If he didn't write you up for it there and then (and provide you with a copy of the ticket), he will not be pursuing the matter. The only exception to this would be if he wanted to pursue it by summons (which would be ridiculous, but he might resort to this if you got had got lippy or he just took a dislike to you etc). He would also have informed you that this was the course of action he intended pursuing.

Also, as funny as this will sound, do you recall if he was wearing his cap? A member must be wearing their cap with GS badge clearly displayed in order to hold himself out as a bona fide member authorised to discharge the duties of a member. It's a technicality, but I got pulled for driving without a belt about two years ago, and even though I explained very politely that I had just pulled out of a space 10 feet back (which incidentally the Garda saw me do!!) he still decided he was going to pursue it by summons. When I casually mentioned that I didnt think he was going to write me up considering afaik he couldnt do this without his cap, his face turned to thunder and he stomped off back to his car. They followed me for about 5 miles afterwards waiting for me to slip up on something. :rolleyes:

edit: Incidentally, you get notification of such things in 2-3 weeks, you then have 56 days from the date of notification to remit any fines levied lest they be doubled and once the fine is paid in full, the points attributable are added to your licence 3 months (it could be 2 months - not certain on this) later. The delay is to allow for appeal processes etc as once points are allotted its hard to remove them. A little loophole worht bearing in mind is, if you send a cheque for the cost of the fine plus €1, ie; €81, they must naturally refund you the €1 in due process. As long as you dont cash that €1 cheque, the financial transaction cannot be finalised and the poitns therefore cant be allotted. Shh

Dyr

So THATS why undercover guards still wear their caps!

I remember some junior scumbag telling me when i was a kid that he was chased by a copper but he managed to knock his hat off so after that he couldnt arrest him. i think garlic and crosses might be worth a go too

Pherekydes

2981-awny wrote:

I was just driving home from college there and I forgot to put my seatbelt on.

How can you forget to put your seatbelt on? Was your door open, too?

As regards the points, I don't understand why not wearing a seatbelt gets you points: you're only affecting yourself, particularly if you're in the car on your own.

Sp@rtacus

Bambi wrote:

So THATS why undercover guards still wear their caps!

Sorry, omitted the word UNIFORMED. Dont you think a uniformed garda should in fact be bedecked in their FULL uniform when on duty? If he collared you while wearing a feather boa and a cape, wouldnt you be a bit p|ssed off? Anyway, the GS code of conduct and members handbook says a uniformed member must wear the cap to write you up, so thats good enough for me.

layke

I've done it once or twice.

It happens.

wyndham

Slow coach wrote:

As regards the points, I don't understand why not wearing a seatbelt gets you points: you're only affecting yourself, particularly if you're in the car on your own.

Somebody may hit you from behind and they probably won't wanna see you go through the windscreen at speed so it affects others alright.

Spart@cus wrote:

He let you off the hook. If he didn't write you up for it there and then (and provide you with a copy of the ticket), he will not be pursuing the matter.

Wrong.

Ruu_Old

Moved from AH.

JHMEG

Sp@rtacus wrote:

He let you off the hook. If he didn't write you up for it there and then (and provide you with a copy of the ticket),

Spot on. No ticket means no points or fine.

Big Nelly

Sp@rtacus wrote:

He let you off the hook. If he didn't write you up for it there and then (and provide you with a copy of the ticket), he will not be pursuing the matter. The only exception to this would be if he wanted to pursue it by summons (which would be ridiculous, but he might resort to this if you got had got lippy or he just took a dislike to you etc). He would also have informed you that this was the course of action he intended pursuing.

Can you not read above, garda now do not have to give you a ticket. its entered into a PDA. Mate's wife got done for speeding, never got ticket off the garda and thought she was sorted. Few weeks later got the fine and points, its all automated. As I mentioned above!!

Savman

You don't get always get the ticket on-the-spot these days, it's not 1980's anymore lads

So, to summarize...
Q: I was a dum-dum and didnt use my seatbelt and got pulled. What'll happen?
A: You'll get points + fine, or he might let you off.

Simple really

jetsonx

Gardai justifying their excessive overtime pay picking the low hanging
fruit again.

Funny how you rarely see them on country roads at 3 am on a Sunday morning.

Big Nelly

jetsonx wrote:

Gardai justifying their excessive overtime pay picking the low hanging
fruit again.

Funny how you rarely see them on country roads at 3 am on a Sunday morning.

Wat a stupid comment, wat happen if he drives another 100 yards and hits something and flies thru the window then its the Garda fault cause he didnt pull him in!!

alfie

Sp@rtacus wrote:

Sorry, omitted the word UNIFORMED. Dont you think a uniformed garda should in fact be bedecked in their FULL uniform when on duty? If he collared you while wearing a feather boa and a cape, wouldnt you be a bit p|ssed off? Anyway, the GS code of conduct and members handbook says a uniformed member must wear the cap to write you up, so thats good enough for me.

That is complete bullsh*t.

Tipsy Mac

Clunk click every trip, it's so simple....:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5cjGcTHQZE

digweed

where do i begin, you do NOT get a ticket at the side of the road anymore!!! Gardai do NOT need to be wearing their caps while on duty, what happens when they are chasing someone and it falls off??? do they have to go back and get it first??? (methinks you know the answer to that one, could you imagine the posts on here "i saw a guard chasing a guy and his cap fell off and he went back to get it!!!). the op was supposed to be wearing his seatbelt and he wasn't, doesn't matter if he was travelling 10 yards or 10 miles. i've seen firsthand the after effect of not wearing a seatbelt, lady got into her car and didn't put it on, less than 1/4 mile up the road there was the imprint of her head in the windscreen, and i'm not talking a little bump in the window i'm talking about a 6-8 inch deep hole. seatbelts are there for a reason!!!

Sp@rtucus wrote

"edit: Incidentally, you get notification of such things in 2-3 weeks, you then have 56 days from the date of notification to remit any fines levied lest they be doubled and once the fine is paid in full, the points attributable are added to your licence 3 months (it could be 2 months - not certain on this) later. The delay is to allow for appeal processes etc as once points are allotted its hard to remove them. A little loophole worht bearing in mind is, if you send a cheque for the cost of the fine plus €1, ie; €81, they must naturally refund you the €1 in due process. As long as you dont cash that €1 cheque, the financial transaction cannot be finalised and the poitns therefore cant be allotted."

its up to you to cash the cheque, they have completed their obligation to you by refunding you the difference, as far as they are concerned you can wipe your ar$e with it. what they could also do is send you back the cheque and tell you to send on the correct amount and once it goes over the 28 days you are liable for a 50% extra increase. if you keep it up you could be prosecuted for frustration of a prosecution.

D.

ballooba

jetsonx wrote:

Funny how you rarely see them on country roads at 3 am on a Sunday morning.

Why would a guard be on a country road at 3am?

12,000 Gardai. 4,000,000 Citizens.

1 Garda for every 333 people.

How many people will be travelling on this country road you speak of?

Stephen

ballooba wrote:

Why would a guard be on a country road at 3am?

Perhaps because most of the people being killed on our roads are being killed on country roads in the wee hours? There's many well known black spots where people are getting killed again and again. You can even download a spreadsheet of them from the Garda website.

ballooba

Stephen wrote:

Perhaps because most of the people being killed on our roads are being killed on country roads in the wee hours? There's many well known black spots where people are getting killed again and again. You can even download a spreadsheet of them from the Garda website.

I would think that the attitudes of the passengers in cars with drunk drivers and the people who see the drivers doing it are more to blame than a lack of a garda presence.

The Gardai can't be expected to babysit us completely.
a) there isn't enough of them.
b) they shouldn't have to.

A certain Fine Gael Councillor was thrown out of the party for voicing certain views last week. I hear those same views from my uncle every time I am out having a drink with him. I openly disagree with him, but most of the people in his local seem to share his views.

2981-awny

Thanks for all the help. Btw I never once blamed the guards or had a victim mentality as some ppl have suggested. It was my own fault but we all make mistakes. I am a second provisional so i dont need a driver with me and Id regard myself as a good and safe driver . I know the rules of the road (as i say i simply forgot to put the belt on) but i wasnt sure about the procedure for the punishments. so cheers

Savman

2981-awny wrote:

i wasnt sure about the procedure for the punishments. so cheers

In this case, the punishment will save your life.

Wishbone Ash

2981-awny wrote:

went to the back of my car for a while(im guessing to take my reg)

He may have been doing a routine 'reg check' via his radio to the PULSE system at control.

2981-awny wrote:

What happens now? Will I get penalty points and/or pay a fine?

Sit tight - you may hear nothing more. I was stopped last year for unknowingly making an illegal right turn and not wearing a seatbelt . I'ved heard nothing since. The Garda may have ran a reg check which may have turned out to be all above board and he may therefore have given you a chance.;)

Duckjob wrote:

In the UK, the traffic police always give you the courtesy of explaining why you were pulled over and whats going to happen next.

True but they are much more likely to apply the law without exception. I find many Gardai are happy to let one off with a warning in certain situations.

silas wrote:

Yeah you definitely got penalty points.

How do you know? Are you the Garda in question? Do you administer the Penalty Point system?

ninty9er

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Sit tight - you may hear nothing more. I was stopped last year for unknowingly making an illegal right turn and not wearing a seatbelt . I'ved heard nothing since. The Garda may have ran a reg check which may have turned out to be all above board and he may therefore have given you a chance.;)

what if you had unknowingly had twice the legal limit and were driving unbeknownst to yourself at 15k over the limit. should he still have let you off because the reg check came back okay

Wishbone Ash wrote:

True but they are much more likely to apply the law without exception. I find many Gardai are happy to let one off with a warning in certain situations.

How do you know? Are you the Garda in question? Do you administer the Penalty Point system?

Pity people think like that. That's the cultutre that's had a councillor thrown out of Fine Gael. whether 10 time the legal limit or driving without a seatbelt, you are commiting a violation of the Act and the law should apply to all.

We all whinge when it happens to us, but if it were me I'd be more pissed off with myself for being so stupid.

The law being applied uniformly is what makes it equitable and the above statements show just how some people think they are "different" to other offenders

BarryM3

My god will some of you people get down off your bloody moral high ground, the guy is hardly on the most wanted list.

To the OP - There is a good chance you will be ok. He should have officially cautioned you that he may prosecute you. And worst case scenario if the Guard decides to crack down on our high crime levels etc and prosecute ya it won't affect your insurance.

Without opening a whole new can of worms the Gardai in generally should really be careful as to how they as a force as operating, as far as I can see they are doing a very good job on loosing the publics respect.... and thats a dangerous game for them to play.

overdriver

I would have to wade in in support of the oP and the wise words of BarryM3. I would say that the OP did not come on here for a spot of " I told you so's". He was just asking a question. Some of the posts om here have been high horse material to say the least.

The fact is that NONE of us know what's going to happen. I hope he doesn't hear any more about it, as he seems to have taken the lesson on board.


Best of luck, mate. I hope the Garda just decided to give you a second chance. They're not total ba5tard5, and I have had the benefit of the doubt on an occasion or two, thank God.

We are NONE of us perfect, and that goes for some of the holier-than-thou posters here.

ninty9er

I presume I'm one of the being branded holier-than-thou for asking the Garda to IMPLEMENT THE FU<KING LAW.

I'm not saying I'm perfect, far from it, but get caught, pay the price, get over it, move on, don't do it again.

I was responding to other posters not the OP

overdriver

Presumption is the mother of all f*ck ups.
I was referring to some of the mor, shall we say, vocal protagonists here, who were attacking the guy for whinging when he just asked a question.

dubstub

Sp@rtacus wrote:

A little loophole worht bearing in mind is, if you send a cheque for the cost of the fine plus €1, ie; €81, they must naturally refund you the €1 in due process. As long as you dont cash that €1 cheque, the financial transaction cannot be finalised and the poitns therefore cant be allotted. Shh

Have you actually tried this? AFAIK this is just an urban legend, while it may have been true somewhere at some time, it will *not* work now.

overdriver

Probably not. I saw it a few years ago on a US website. It might have been true for that State, at that time, as you say.

Fey!

ninty9er wrote:

what if you had unknowingly had twice the legal limit and were driving unbeknownst to yourself at 15k over the limit. should he still have let you off because the reg check came back okay

That sounds like trolling. It has absolutely SFA to do with what Overdriver said.

ninty9er wrote:

Pity people think like that. That's the cultutre that's had a councillor thrown out of Fine Gael. whether 10 time the legal limit or driving without a seatbelt, you are commiting a violation of the Act and the law should apply to all.

I agree that the laws should be adhered to, but this thread was about a guy who forgot his seatbelt, not another drunk driver.

And wasn't there a Fianna Fail councillor recently reprimanded for making similar comments to those of the Fine Gael councillor, and for agreeing with his FG colleague?

ninty9er wrote:

We all whinge when it happens to us, but if it were me I'd be more pissed off with myself for being so stupid.

I think the OP is more pissed off at himself than at the Garda.

ninty9er wrote:

The law being applied uniformly is what makes it equitable and the above statements show just how some people think they are "different" to other offenders

Did you read the OP? However, there are other boards contributors who believe themselves to be above the law (primarily the "60kph limit on the M50, WTF" threads). And then there are the self-confessed Gaurdians of the People such as yourself (remember admitting doing laps around Limerick to find either drink drivers or speeders???)

Savman

BarryM3 wrote:

My god will some of you people get down off your bloody moral high ground, the guy is hardly on the most wanted list.

What are you on about? There is no "moral high ground" where seatbelts are concerned, it's fairly black and white I would've thought - unlike other offences which may have valid arguments.

If you tell people on a public motors forum that you were pulled for not wearing a seatbelt, you have to expect some kind of questions raised about what kind of driver you are and rightly so. In this case the OP seems to have responded maturely so no harm done.

What bugs me more are the uneducated folks who posted wrong information about how you get tickets. That's far more damaging than anything else :rolleyes:

ninty9er

dubstub wrote:

Have you actually tried this? AFAIK this is just an urban legend, while it may have been true somewhere at some time, it will *not* work now.

My aunt did it a few years back. She's out a few quid, but no points....

And Fey! - I do remember the particular experiment I carried out when that operation was on. I was looking for the Gardaí not drink drivers

gyppo

ninty9er wrote:

Pity people think like that. That's the cultutre that's had a councillor thrown out of Fine Gael. whether 10 time the legal limit or driving without a seatbelt, you are commiting a violation of the Act and the law should apply to all.

I don't remember Jim McDaid being thrown out of FF for actual dring driving and going down the wrong side of a dual carraigeway.

Zambia

gyppo wrote:

I don't remember Jim McDaid being thrown out of FF for actual dring driving and going down the wrong side of a dual carraigeway.

Thats cause the Garda that got him didnt wear a hat and his left shoe lace was loose ...

I agree with an earlier comment the OP should be told what had happened. Courtesy is not a lot to ask from the Gardai.

There is the possiblity that while he was at the back of the car he got called to another more serious incident.