UK & Ireland joint penalty points scheme

rebel.ranter

Just heard on the news today that from next April a driving ban earned in the UK will be effective over here as well.
Later next year the UK & Irish governments have agreed a system where penalty points earned in one juristiction will carry over to the other juristiction.
It was only a matter of time I suppose. Points dodgers should now move to the next stage, get an Eastern European driving license!

blastman

*goes back to reading Polish phrase book*

Stephen

I wonder if we'll notice nordie drivers slowing down here now, and vice versa on the other side of the border?

mike65

Good news. I imagine it'll end up an EU wide scheme if enough arms are twisted.

Mike.

Cyrus

be interesting as to how they reconcile the different offences and different penalties between jurisdictions

nag

my guess would be that theyll have an agreed maximum amount of points for every licence holder (12) and theyll just dish out the points like normal

i would imagine having to come up with an agreed points system would be a very sensitive and expensive endeavour

MGrah

nag wrote:

my guess would be that theyll have an agreed maximum amount of points for every licence holder (12) and theyll just dish out the points like normal

i would imagine having to come up with an agreed points system would be a very sensitive and expensive endeavour

Meaning that an offence committed here carries whatever number of points would normally be applied by the Irish system even on a UK license? Seems like the most sensible way to me, but might be a legal minefield.

e.g. an offence carrying 5 points in the UK and only 1 here (don't know if there are any) on an Irish license committed in the UK with 7 already applied. This would see the driver banned. Right way to do it in my opinion, just like a British person would get an Irish sentence for another crime even for an activity that is legal in the UK. The severity of the offence being decided by the jurisdiction in which it's committed. (I'm starting to ramble now, so I'll leave it there)

nag

lol, i had to say that one out load just to get my head around what you were saying! but in essence, i agree. hehe

ardmacha

an offence carrying 5 points in the UK and only 1 here (don't know if there are any) on an Irish license committed in the UK with 7 already applied.

While people will use all sorts of legal tricks to try and get off, this should not be an issue. it is also proposed that people disqualified in one jurisdiction will be disqualified in the other, so the competence of each authority to establish laws in their own area is being recognised.