Guards driving your car?

JoeySully

so you get pulled over and cop sees no tax disk on the vehicle or NCT - they say " we are taking the vehicle " -
Are the guards allowed to drive it back to the station ??? or do they have to call a tow truck? it was a small town garda.

Anan1

I think (although I don't know) that they can drive it.

Esel

To answer your question: yes, they are allowed to drive it, provided they have the appropriate licence. People have said here that you are not obliged to hand over your keys. So, if this is true, park the car legally and safely, lock it, and walk away.

moleyC

Or if they really insist on driving it, plonk yourself in the passenger seat and make shure it goes directly and safely to the station.

cabrwab

Must have being a bad morning OP?!
they can drive it, and depending on what car they will DRIVE it! Once they have a full licence they are good to go! It'll be okay

Johnny Utah

I remember watching Road Wars a while ago, and the cop decided to drive a very expensive Merc Sports-car (could be an SL 500 I think) back to the station.:D


For most of the more mundane automobiles, it seems that the back of a truck is the preferred method of transport.:rolleyes:

Ferris

AFAIK they are insured by the state, i.e the state pays any claims, not an insurance company. Guess this means that they can do anything they like so long as its Garda policy.

I'd have known more about this if I hadn't avoided a Guard running straight through one of the roundabouts (while I was on it) in Omni Shopping Centre yesterday.

Funny, I didn't know there was a dunkin' donuts there.

toco123

By the way is it legal so for a guard to use her mobile phone while driving through a town such as Fermoy?

Wishbone Ash

toco123 wrote: »

By the way is it legal so for a guard to use her mobile phone while driving through a town such as Fermoy?

Yes - the Gardai are exempt from most of the Road Traffic Regulations if doing so as part of their work.

PS - What has the town got to do with it?

KELTICKNIGHTT

such a life the guards have,turn on blue lights as late for lunch
some of them cant drive,maybe they didnt have to do driving test

delly

I'm also nearly a 100% that a Garda can drive any vehicle regardless of weather they have a licence for that category or not.

KELTICKNIGHTT

if they could drive,saw them few times almost take out other drivers on roads specially going wrong way in roundabouts

Wishbone Ash

delly wrote: »

I'm also nearly a 100% that a Garda can drive any vehicle regardless of weather they have a licence for that category or not.

No they must have the appropriate category. If they need to drive an artic, it often takes them a while to locate a Garda with an E+C licence.

Plascebo

Can they take your car if you have no NCT?

JoeySully

delly wrote: »

I'm also nearly a 100% that a Garda can drive any vehicle regardless of weather they have a licence for that category or not.

that may be true but can they drive an untaxed vehicle onthe road. all garda cars must be taxed and its an offence to drive a car without tax?

Johnny Utah

Plascebo wrote: »

Can they take your car if you have no NCT?

No

KELTICKNIGHTT

the boys in blue,could make a movie

Fozzie Bear

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

No they must have the appropriate category. If they need to drive an artic, it often takes them a while to locate a Garda with an E+C licence.

No thats incorrect wishbone. My brother is a Garda and while only having a car license has driven a mini bus, cement mixer truck and fully loaded artic after impounding them for various reasons. As he says himself he can drive a tank if needs be while on duty regardless of what license he holds or if he has even driven one before. The fecker can hardly drive a car so how he managed the artic i'll never know.....

KELTICKNIGHTT

they gifted,didnt you know

zzzzzzzz

esel wrote: »

People have said here that you are not obliged to hand over your keys.

Has anyone verified if this is true? Especially with the 1 week clampdown on at the moment, someone MUST have tried it.

yayamark

Johnny Utah wrote: »

No

Wrong your car can be impounded if the nct is out by a day or more

KELTICKNIGHTT wrote: »

the boys in blue,could make a movie

Grow up

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

No thats incorrect wishbone. My brother is a Garda and while only having a car license has driven a mini bus, cement mixer truck and fully loaded artic after impounding them for various reasons. As he says himself he can drive a tank if needs be while on duty regardless of what license he holds or if he has even driven one before. The fecker can hardly drive a car so how he managed the artic i'll never know.....

Wrong A garda needs a licence to drive a vehicle

KELTICKNIGHTT

ok daddy

Wishbone Ash

JoeySully wrote: »

can they drive an untaxed vehicle onthe road

Of course they can. There are exemptions to all regulations for specific instances that may occur.

JoeySully wrote:

all garda cars must be taxed and its an offence to drive a car without tax?

All Garda vehicles display a tax disc but it has €0.00 on it. It would be a bit pointless for the Government to tax itself!

Johnny Utah

yayamark wrote: »

Wrong your car can be impounded if the nct is out by a day or more

Under what legislation?

Fozzie Bear

yayamark wrote: »

Wrong A garda needs a licence to drive a vehicle

Eh NO THEY DON'T! As i have already pointed (read my post) out my brother is a current member of the Gardai and he has confirmed (as well as driven) that he can drive any vehicle he needs to while on duty regardless of whether he holds a current driving license for that vehicle or not.

peasant

Kelticknight
You're sailing a bit close to the wind ...stop posting nonsense ..try something substantial for a change.

KELTICKNIGHTT

hmmm,rightie o

Bogger77

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

Eh NO THEY DON'T! As i have already pointed (read my post) out my brother is a current member of the Gardai and he has confirmed (as well as driven) that he can drive any vehicle he needs to while on duty regardless of whether he holds a current driving license for that vehicle or not.

In actual fact, a member of the force could drive a vehicle, using the Commis's permissions whilst banned from driving for an offence such as drink driving.

peasant

I would assume (hope!) that some common sense is applied, depending on the situation.

For example, if a vehicle needs to be driven out of a danger zone to to the next safe spot to prevent another accident from happening ...what does it matter if the driver has a licence for it or not?

But if an articulated lorry had to be driven for a long stretch through normal traffic I would expect that the driver would have to have the appropriate licence.

Alun

yayamark wrote: »

Wrong your car can be impounded if the nct is out by a day or more

Which would achieve what, exactly? It would be a little difficult to then get it NCT'ed if it was sitting in a pound somewhere, wouldn't it? With tax, at least you could go and get it taxed in the meantime and return with the paperwork, but with an NCT you couldn't do that. I call your bluff.

Wishbone Ash

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

Eh NO THEY DON'T! As i have already pointed (read my post) out my brother is a current member of the Gardai and he has confirmed (as well as driven) that he can drive any vehicle he needs to while on duty regardless of whether he holds a current driving license for that vehicle or not.

I stand corrected Fozzie Bear.

They are indeed exempt from the requirement to have a licence if required in the course of their duties (Section 38, sub-section 6 of the Road Traffic Act 1961).

I presume it must be by choice of the individual member though. The reason I thought it was mandatory is that I regularly hear the controllers on the Garda Traffic Channel seeking a "member with an EC/D/C licence required as soon as possible at..........".

Now I know!

delly

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I stand corrected Fozzie Bear.

*cough cough*

Alun

It's one thing being allowed to do it, and another completely different thing actually being capable of it. From what I've seen of some modern truck cockpits, you'd be hard pressed to even figure out how to start the damn thing, let alone get it moving in a safe and smooth manner if all you were used to was a standard car.

Frank the Manc

a garda, to be legally insured to drive your car to the impound must be in posession of a retrieval warrant, i.e. permission from his super or higher.

you do not have to give your keys to the garda, you simply lock the the door and put them in your pocket, advise the garda that you do not give him permission to drive the car and that you want it towed by a professional, who is competant to carry out same.

youre getting charged the €125 regardless of whether its towed or driven by the garda so why make his life any easier, hes certainy not making yours any.

cars can be seized for tax being out of date by 30 days or more or an expired NCT, unsure of any time scales, but as usual its almost entirely at the guards discretion.

_feedback_

toco123 wrote: »

By the way is it legal so for a guard to use her mobile phone while driving through a town such as Fermoy?

I've done a bit of research in to that for you, and it is illegal for a Garda to use her phone while driving, in the following cork Townlands:

Ballycotton Ballylickey Ballinascarthy Ballinhassig Ballinspittle Ballydehob Ballygarvan Baltimore Bandon Bantry Barleycove Blarney Buttevant Carrigaline Castletownbere Castletownshend Castlemartyr Charleville Clonakilty Cloyne Cobh Cork City Courtmacsherry Crosshaven Crookhaven Dunmanway Durrus
Glandore Glengarriff Goleen Gougane Innishannon Kanturk Kilbrittain Kinsale Leap Macroom Mallow Midleton Millstreet Mitchelstown Mizen Head Monkstown Oysterhaven Ringaskiddy Rostellan Rosscarbery Schull Shanagarry
Sheep's Head Skibbereen Timoleague Union Hall Youghal.

Fermoy doesn't seem to be on it, bummer.

Wishbone Ash

Alun wrote: »

From what I've seen of some modern truck cockpits, you'd be hard pressed to even figure out how to start the damn thing, let alone get it moving in a safe and smooth manner if all you were used to was a standard car.

I'd love to see a Garda getting into a fully laden truck, with a four over four box and splitter parked on a steep incline and watch him 'confiscate' it.

Frank the Manc wrote: »

why make his life any easier, hes certainy not making yours any

The owner/driver would be making life hard for himself. The garda is merely upholding the law and would have the support of most law abiding motorists.

elviscostello wrote: »

I've done a bit of research in to that for you, and it is illegal for a Garda to use her phone while driving, in the following cork Townlands:

Ballycotton Ballylickey Ballinascarthy Ballinhassig Ballinspittle Ballydehob Ballygarvan Baltimore Bandon Bantry Barleycove Blarney Buttevant Carrigaline Castletownbere Castletownshend Castlemartyr Charleville Clonakilty Cloyne Cobh Cork City Courtmacsherry Crosshaven Crookhaven Dunmanway Durrus
Glandore Glengarriff Goleen Gougane Innishannon Kanturk Kilbrittain Kinsale Leap Macroom Mallow Midleton Millstreet Mitchelstown Mizen Head Monkstown Oysterhaven Ringaskiddy Rostellan Rosscarbery Schull Shanagarry
Sheep's Head Skibbereen Timoleague Union Hall Youghal.

Fermoy doesn't seem to be on it, bummer.

LOL

tdc

Sorry, someone mentioned earlier that if you get caught without tax/NCT you are not obliged to hand over the keys - you can just park it and walk. Is this true? Isnt it illegal to park a car without tax and/or NCT on a public road?

Wishbone Ash

tdc wrote: »

Sorry, someone mentioned earlier that if you get caught without tax/NCT you are not obliged to hand over the keys - you can just park it and walk. Is this true? Isnt it illegal to park a car without tax and/or NCT on a public road?

They meant park it awaiting towaway as opposed to giving the keys to a Garda. personnally I'd prefer a Garda to drive it rather than have to pay tow fees as well as storage fees

Captain Slow IRL

So, how come they can take your car off you if you haven't it taxed but can't if it isn't nct'd?!

Should the nct not hold precedence over tax? (road safety, etc....)

DublinDilbert

land9 wrote: »

So, how come they can take your car off you if you haven't it taxed but can't if it isn't nct'd?!

Should the nct not hold precedence over tax? (road safety, etc....)

We all know that tax / revenue unfortunately takes precedence over road safety

miju

yayamark wrote: »

Wrong your car can be impounded if the nct is out by a day or more

i doubt it as according to penaltypoints.ie it's not even active penalty points offence.

L1011

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

Has anyone verified if this is true? Especially with the 1 week clampdown on at the moment, someone MUST have tried it.

Clampdown?

I've hit a thousand miles since Friday now and I've seen TWO gardai - walking down the hard shoulder of the N7. And not one checkpoint!

Wishbone Ash

land9 wrote: »

So, how come they can take your car off you if you haven't it taxed but can't if it isn't nct'd?!

Presumably because tax is a black and white issue.

NCT is more intricate. You may have failed a test and therefore are entitled to a retest within 21(?) days. Suppose you fail the retest after making a lot of effort etc....


It's not as simple as paying road tax!

s14driftking

cars can be taken for no nct tax and insurance seen it happen dozens of times at meets
as for guard driving your car tat is totally up to u i got one of my cars impounded lately for not having an insurance disc displayed and i refused to let the guard drive it in the end they called a tow truck and i payed nothing extra

Wishbone Ash

s14driftking wrote: »

i refused to let the guard drive it in the end they called a tow truck and i payed nothing extra

Was the vehicle reclaimed?

Frank the Manc

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They meant park it awaiting towaway as opposed to giving the keys to a Garda. personnally I'd prefer a Garda to drive it rather than have to pay tow fees as well as storage fees

youre paying it one way or another, so why oblige them.
if youve ever had your car driven by a muppet who really shouldnt be on the road then you'd understand.

land9 wrote: »

So, how come they can take your car off you if you haven't it taxed but can't if it isn't nct'd?!

Should the nct not hold precedence over tax? (road safety, etc....)

they can and do.

DublinDilbert wrote: »

We all know that tax / revenue unfortunately takes precedence over road safety

damn straight

s14driftking wrote: »

cars can be taken for no nct tax and insurance seen it happen dozens of times at meets
as for guard driving your car tat is totally up to u i got one of my cars impounded lately for not having an insurance disc displayed and i refused to let the guard drive it in the end they called a tow truck and i payed nothing extra

thats the only shots for 'em lad.

jimmycrackcorm

elviscostello wrote: »

I've done a bit of research in to that for you, and it is illegal for a Garda to use her phone while driving, in the following cork Townlands:

Ballycotton Ballylickey Ballinascarthy Ballinhassig Ballinspittle Ballydehob Ballygarvan Baltimore Bandon Bantry Barleycove Blarney Buttevant Carrigaline Castletownbere Castletownshend Castlemartyr Charleville Clonakilty Cloyne Cobh Cork City Courtmacsherry Crosshaven Crookhaven Dunmanway Durrus
Glandore Glengarriff Goleen Gougane Innishannon Kanturk Kilbrittain Kinsale Leap Macroom Mallow Midleton Millstreet Mitchelstown Mizen Head Monkstown Oysterhaven Ringaskiddy Rostellan Rosscarbery Schull Shanagarry
Sheep's Head Skibbereen Timoleague Union Hall Youghal.

Fermoy doesn't seem to be on it, bummer.

Law #1 of the republic of Cork.

s14driftking

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Was the vehicle reclaimed?

yes i got it back the next nite after i produced my insurance and handed over 125euro the robbing basta***

Bogger77

s14driftking wrote: »

yes i got it back the next nite after i produced my insurance and handed over 125euro the robbing basta***

Robbing what?

Maybe next time you head to a meet, you'll make sure your car meets the requirements of the road traffic acts.

Frank the Manc

Bogger77 wrote: »

Robbing what?

Maybe next time you head to a meet, you'll make sure your car meets the requirements of the road traffic acts.

fair enough you are asking for trouble not having your docs in order when attendig such gatherings, but it is just petty revenge by the gardai seizing cars like that, it has nothing to do with road safety.

how is the same car that was impounded miraculously roadworthy again, after the payment of a stealth tax sorry i mean release fee.

Fey!

Frank the Manc wrote: »

how is the same car that was impounded miraculously roadworthy again, after the payment of a stealth tax sorry i mean release fee.

Wasn't he refering to INSURANCE documentation, NOT NCT. How does that refer to roadworthiness?

And why couldn't the poster have had something in the car to prove he was insured? The onus at a checkpoint is on the owner to prove that the car is insured, NOT for the Garda to prove that it isn't.