UCD Traffic Offences

daboyfergie

I was once travelling with a friend of mine who was slightly pissed, from belgrove to Merville to attend a house party. He was stopped by a Garda van, en route, outside the Quinn School. He was let off without a breathalyzer test. Is it possible to get prosecuted for drink driving or for e.g, driving without due care and attention while on UCD property?

Red Alert

Technically I suspect no, although he could probably be done under 'being a danger to himself and others' which doesn't necessairly have to involve a car. Better to be safe than sorry - don't drink and drive.

BKtje

Being private property(i assume it is) i didn't even think the guards were allowed on it without being invited?

Tigrrrr

You'd imagine that driving a motor vehicle in any place where you are a potential danger to members of the public due to being intoxicated would be illegal, whether that happens to be on private property or not, but I dunno.

To what extent UCD is "private property" exactly is probably debatable...

OP, are you sure that wasn't just a services jeep? Might sound like a stupid question but I've often mistaken those guys for the gardai too, after a few sherrys...

Blut

On the last day of term last semester the Gardai had numerous breathalyser checkpoints around campus. I imagine they didnt just have them up for giggles, even if they cant do you for drunk driving(which I doubt, as far as I know they have jurisdiction on any publicly accessable road?) I'm sure theyd find something else to get you with.

Stepherunie

B-K-DzR wrote: »

Being private property(i assume it is) i didn't even think the guards were allowed on it without being invited?

The gardai are regularly on campus. Sure they have a little garda station in the science building.

I see them doing patrols around the place a fair bit. Somehow I don't think UCD mind.

Dr Strange

B-K-DzR wrote: »

Being private property(i assume it is) i didn't even think the guards were allowed on it without being invited?

NUI are public universities and therefore no private property. The gardai do not need an invitation to enter public space.

the_syco

You got off, OP, cos if he was done, you'd have gotten done as well. This is due to a new'ish law which states that anyone caught in a car with a drink driver will also get fined. It's to stomp down on people driving due to "peer pressure".

BKtje

If ucd is public property what right do ucd have to stop park and riders?

Im not making a deal outta this, just curious.

John_C

The rules of the road apply on any road the public has access to. Some housing and industrial estates would have privately owned roads as well but the law still applies.

Catcher86

On monday I saw a surprising number of Gardaí in UCD. Two mountain bikers and two squad cars, all in the space of 30 minutes. This was before the fire brigade and ambulance were outside the student centre (not sure what they were for).
Maybe they use UCD as a short cut sometimes, even though it would'nt be much of a short cut.
Just wondering has anyone ever seen them in 911? ( No offense intended)

Pythia

If UCD is private property, then why do services escort people off campus for trespassing if they're not students? They often do it to groups of kids who skate/hang around at weekends.

Dr Strange

UCD as a public institution has its own policy regarding behaviour on campus etc. Every public university does. Campus security can "escort" non-students off campus if they display behaviour in contravention of University Campus policy. Security can not (or better: should not) physically remove someone without either a) affect a citizens arrest or, what should happen in extreme cases, b) call the gardai who have the power to actually physically remove someone from the campus.

Security enforces University policy on campus while gardai deal with breaches of the law in general on campus. There is, however, an overlap, say when a student goes against Uni policy and Security have exhausted all legal means to deal with the situation. Once that happens it would be handed over to the gardai.

How Strange

UCD is private property and that is why they can make traffic calming arrangements such as putting the barriers down at peak hours to prevent people using it as a through road from Clonskeagh to Donnybrook.

I don't know the legal definitions but the actual grounds are private property. That is why they also escort skateboarders etc off campus because there are huge public liability implications if any of them injure themselves while on campus.

Dr Strange

How Strange wrote: »

UCD is private property and that is why they can make traffic calming arrangements such as putting the barriers down at peak hours to prevent people using it as a through road from Clonskeagh to Donnybrook.

I don't know the legal definitions but the actual grounds are private property. That is why they also escort skateboarders etc off campus because there are huge public liability implications if any of them injure themselves while on campus.

Yes, I don't know how it is with the property itself but UCD as a University is a public university as compared to a private institution. The grounds seem to fall under some kind of semi-public space. There is no private person "owning" the campus.

Tayto2000

The answer can probably be found somewhere in the University Act 1997 if anyone cares to delve through it... The grounds are 'owned' by the Governing Authority and therefore constitute private property I think. Public lands would come under the local authority in this case DRCC far as I know.

daboyfergie

No they were definately Gardai. They were weraring the uniform and had flashing blue lights. I recall them saying that they were on the lookout for bike thieves.

P_1

daboyfergie wrote: »

No they were definately Gardai. They were weraring the uniform and had flashing blue lights. I recall them saying that they were on the lookout for bike thieves.

Well if thats why they were on campus fair play to them. About time somebodydid something about the thieving scum!

woop

actually there was a load of special branch and uniformed gardai on campuss some time ago, round the student centre think there may have been somebody important round they covering the exits and all, really curious about this

or nosey?

Chakar

woop wrote: »

actually there was a load of special branch and uniformed gardai on campuss some time ago, round the student centre think there may have been somebody important round they covering the exits and all, really curious about this

or nosey?

I think you're referring to the visit to UCD of a delegation of former Representatives and Senators of U.S. Congress. Some of the former members of Congress were governors of Alaska, Tennessee and Puerto Rico. Did you not read about it in the College Tribune? The socialists were protesting about their visit.

delta_bravo

Chakar wrote: »

Did you not read about it in the College Tribune? The socialists were protesting about their visit.

Damn hippies :rolleyes:

ucdperson

Hopefully the Gardai will set up a few checkpoints on campus to enforce the new L driver regulations and then it might be possible for properly licenced people to get parked.

Red Alert

UCD's spin doctors couldn't have asked for a better set of regulations. All their parking problems are now solved.