Dodging garda checkpoints.

HungryJoey

Just something I have noticed recently going through several check-points are people who turn around to avoid it - And get away with it?!

Even last week I had some gobshyte in a nice BMW on front of me who decided to stop the whole road and wait for the other side of the traffic to clear before he could procede with his U-turn. I was so angered that he had the cheek to do this 150M away from the checkpoint and hold up the road for a good 10 seconds I decided to give him a little beep followed by other cars beeping. He got scared as the gardai clearly would hear this going on and decided to drive on towards the checkpoint and the gardai just waved him through without a bother ?! Clearly he had something to hide.

I mean, I have seen over in the UK they setup stingers around the corner from checkpoints so that if anybody does decide to swing around to avoid it they are caught. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult for gardai to set something like this up (all it takes is 1 extra car and a gardai, which wouldn't be a problem.. there is always more then enough gardai standing around at checkpoints) and you would be suprised the amount of people who would be caught and not just for motoring offences.

Oh also, I (and i'm sure the other drivers) didn't feel bad beeping the driver on front of me because why should I/we pay insurance, tax and ensure my car has a valid NCT and it be ok for other drivers not to and get away with it?

/rant over

sc4rf4ce

i couldnt agree with you more. what's the point in us paying taxes insurance etc, for others to get away with it.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Totally agree!

Yakult

+1.

I assume when guards see someone u-turn or park up after seeing the checkpoint the go after them?

stepbar

I remember approaching a checkpoint (if you could call it that, two Guards standing on the Dundrum bypass with no visable backup :rolleyes:) a good few months. Like your friend in the BMW, I turned around and went up the Main St of Dundrum. Not because I had anything to hide but because I was pissed off at the Guards amaterish attempt at a checkpoint. And the fact that they were holding things up longer then they should be. Don't get me wrong I've been stopped before on the Dundrum bypass and breathalised and no doubt will have occasion to meet the boys in blue again sometime in the future. The fact I could go up the Main St of Dundrum without any hassle says it all really.

HungryJoey

R_H_C_P wrote: »

+1.

I assume when guards see someone u-turn or park up after seeing the checkpoint the go after them?

That would be the general assumption, but no I've seen it many times and nothing done or noticed.

stepbar wrote: »

I remember approaching a checkpoint (if you could call it that, two Guards standing on the Dundrum bypass with no visable backup :rolleyes:) a good few months. Like your friend in the BMW, I turned around and went up the Main St of Dundrum. Not because I had anything to hide but because I was pissed off at the Guards amaterish attempt at a checkpoint. And the fact that they were holding things up longer then they should be. Don't get me wrong I've been stopped before on the Dundrum bypass and breathalised and no doubt will have occasion to meet the boys in blue again sometime in the future. The fact I could go up the Main St of Dundrum without any hassle says it all really.

And I still don't really see the point in that apart from maybe beating the traffic but I would of thought you're only asking for hassle doing that.. obviously not :rolleyes:

Yakult

HungryJoey wrote: »

That would be the general assumption, but no I've seen it many times and nothing done or noticed.

Typical I guess.:rolleyes:

sc4rf4ce wrote: »

because that bmw driver made it everyones business by holding up the show

Whats new there...:D:p

*joking*

My gf lives up a tiny lane near dundrum, which wouldn't get a lot of traffic (The main road that its off, and that the checkpoint was on definitely does though!). Its also a lane thats easy to miss.

One night, one of our friends was dropping us home, and just as we came around the corner with the little lane on our right, I noticed a Garda Checkpoint up ahead. My gf was pointing out the turn to the driver, who didn't really get enough notice, so kinda had to throw the car into the corner.

Literally 30 seconds later, Squad car came flying up behind us, and pulled us over. "Did you see that checkpoint back there?". Obviously we had, and told them so, and also told them that we weren't avoiding it, it simply wasn't on our route.

The Garda car then followed us all the way back to my Gf's house, and didn't leave until she had opened the front door....

Was kinda funny really, but I was impressed moreso than annoyed with the Gardaí's persistance!

sc4rf4ce

sounds like they were bored.

stepbar

HungryJoey wrote: »

And I still don't really see the point in that apart from maybe beating the traffic but I would of thought you're only asking for hassle doing that.. obviously not :rolleyes:

Because I was only going to bleeden Tesco and it was already late enough when one should be in bed. And TBH if they were really serious about it they'd have had a checkpoint on the Main St of Dundrum as well.

HungryJoey

stepbar wrote: »

Because I was only going to bleeden Tesco and it was already late enough when one should be in bed. And TBH if they were really serious about it they'd have had a checkpoint on the Main St of Dundrum as well.

Well you should have been in bed!

L1011

stepbar wrote: »

I remember approaching a checkpoint (if you could call it that, two Guards standing on the Dundrum bypass with no visable backup :rolleyes:) a good few months. Like your friend in the BMW, I turned around and went up the Main St of Dundrum. Not because I had anything to hide but because I was pissed off at the Guards amaterish attempt at a checkpoint. And the fact that they were holding things up longer then they should be. Don't get me wrong I've been stopped before on the Dundrum bypass and breathalised and no doubt will have occasion to meet the boys in blue again sometime in the future. The fact I could go up the Main St of Dundrum without any hassle says it all really.

That checkpoint on the Dundrum Bypass is there every single time I'm in Dundrum after about 11pm. And they've never done more than glanced at my disks!

As goes the original topic, I've seen Guards do a checkpoint on the Straffan Road in Maynooth with another Guard hiding down in the housing estates each side of the checkpoint. Rare they get anyone at the checkpoint itself, but get quite a few down the estates!

furtzy

Seen this going through Mulhuddart one day. All the cars coming in the opposite direction where flashing their lights and loads of people started doing U turns. I thought the road ahead was blocked or there was an accident or something. It turned out to be a Garda checkpoint ahead.....couldn't believe all the people doing u turns....theres a lot of people with something to hide out there

mjquinno

gardai love setting up a checkpoint down from burdocks in christchurch. Arranged to pick the gf up from outside there as she was in town. so came up to the road and pulled in, it so looked like i was a avoiding it , garda come up and asks why im avoiding to road block and i go about explaining how i was picking up the gf and this is where i arranged to pick her up. Im sure he thought he had caught someone. He checked everything i dont think he believed me until the gf came up to the car. He looked almost disappointed when he waved me on.

Prob should have went through the checkpoint and waited at the other side.. ill know next time..

cbyrne

I've seen a number of convictions in local newspapers of people done for no tax/insurance/drink driving where they tried to avoid a checkpoint and the Guards seen them. Mind you in the country the queues for the checkpoints are often smaller so very hard for you to do a u-turn without being spotted. You'd be better taking the chance if you had someting to hide IMO, being spotted turning around/off is like a red flag to a bull!

bazz26

Usually you see a second patrol car or a motorcycle cop as backup at many checkpoints in the event someone tries to do a u-turn or legger.

Marcus.Aurelius

We used to set up a checkpoint with a standard traffic car and keep two more powerful cars (3.0 v6s) about half a mile above and below the main checkpoint to catch those who turn around.

Depends on the day and the numbers available tbh.

recycle

Joker wrote: »

We used to set up a checkpoint with a standard traffic car and keep two more powerful cars (3.0 v6s) about half a mile above and below the main checkpoint to catch those who turn around.

Depends on the day and the numbers available tbh.

What a joke cuz people not paying a couple hundred quid road tax on their car is a serious threat to the State.

I really doubt the Gardas would waste those kind of resources ( ie two 3l cars and a squad car) on a routine traffic check. If they did, its pure waste

I would imagine most Gards wud prefer to be doing sumthin else than acting as roadside tax collectors for the sate. Surely lolipop ladies or parking inspectors could do that job

KTRIC

recycle wrote: »

What a joke cuz people not paying a couple hundred quid road tax on their car is a serious threat to the State.

I really doubt the Gardas would waste those kind of resources ( ie two 3l cars and a squad car) on a routine traffic check. If they did, its pure waste

I would imagine most Gards wud prefer to be doing sumthin else than acting as roadside tax collectors for the sate. Surely lolipop ladies or parking inspectors could do that job

I totally agree, the money would be better spent on education. Your post is a prime example of someone that has been let slip through our under funded education system without a decent standard of English. :rolleyes:

Marcus.Aurelius

recycle wrote: »

What a joke cuz people not paying a couple hundred quid road tax on their car is a serious threat to the State.

I really doubt the Gardas would waste those kind of resources ( ie two 3l cars and a squad car) on a routine traffic check. If they did, its pure waste

I would imagine most Gards wud prefer to be doing sumthin else than acting as roadside tax collectors for the sate. Surely lolipop ladies or parking inspectors could do that job

I agree completely with you.

I think we are being stopped from doing actual speed checks so that the new cameras will look very good. The number of detections will skyrocket.

The Traffic Corps at our local station has 3 cars, while the local units (A, B, C & D) have only one car.

It's just the illusion of work, politicians like that sort of thing, it's their substitute for achievement*


*That quote is from Yes, Minister

Lord Nikon

Some of us from time to time let the tax lapse, either knowingly or not. But even with getting stopped by the boys in blue, and getting a fine, you still have to pay arrears on the tax that you missed. Also, they charge a few extra quid too, because you let it lapse over a month.

Car tax should be included in fuel prices anyway, that way no-one could avoid it.

Checkpoints should be used exclusively for breathtesting, and insurance checking mostly, and valid licence too.

L1011

neuromancer wrote: »

Checkpoints should be used exclusively for breathtesting, and insurance checking mostly, and valid licence too.

Erm, why would they ignore you having 'forgotten' something you're sent a reminder about when they're already stopping you to check the other things?

Heroditas

neuromancer wrote: »

Checkpoints should be used exclusively for breathtesting, and insurance checking mostly, and valid licence too.

I completely agree regarding the licence bit. I knew someone who had an expired USA licence (think it was a state of Oregon one - he was American) and despite living here was driving around for about a year with an expired licence. He was pulled over on the dual carriageway section going from the Celbridge exit on the N4 up to Intel due to speeding and was let off with a warning, despite having no valid licence and spouting rubbish about it "still being valid" for another month or so. No doubt he's still driving around with it out of date. :mad:

Ferris

recycle wrote: »

What a joke cuz people not paying a couple hundred quid road tax on their car is a serious threat to the State.

I really doubt the Gardas would waste those kind of resources ( ie two 3l cars and a squad car) on a routine traffic check. If they did, its pure waste

I would imagine most Gards wud prefer to be doing sumthin else than acting as roadside tax collectors for the sate. Surely lolipop ladies or parking inspectors could do that job

Its a job for computers and camera's, we've needed APNR here for yonks. The only way to check up on untaxed and uninsured drivers.

pandaboy

neuromancer wrote: »

Some of us from time to time let the tax lapse, either knowingly or not. But even with getting stopped by the boys in blue, and getting a fine, you still have to pay arrears on the tax that you missed. Also, they charge a few extra quid too, because you let it lapse over a month.

Car tax should be included in fuel prices anyway, that way no-one could avoid it.

Checkpoints should be used exclusively for breathtesting, and insurance checking mostly, and valid licence too.

Best answer to Tax issues "it's in the post"

Tbh, I haven't encountered many checkpoints only at like 12-3 in the morning here in Cork.
Though I do remember coming back from Galway and the looders had a checkpoint on the Ennis By-Pass, wtf like

BoardsRanger

When i first started to drive some years back i had a problem with a lost taxbook which took some time to sort out and so i didnt have tax on my car. one day when i was heading out of dublin i saw a checkpoint up ahead so i pulled in to the side of the road and parked. i then waited till both gardai were dealing with two seperate motorists and drove straight by.:D:D:D

Honey-ec

A girl I know has been driving around for almost 2 years with no tax and no insurance. Whenever she saw a checkpoint she just did a u-ey and kept getting away with it. She finally got caught at one on the Belgard Road a few weeks back. She hadn't even got the out of date discs in the car, but whatever sh*te she spouted, they gave her ten days to produce. Needless to say, she never bothered. I'm DYING to see if she gets summonsed now...

DublinDilbert

There was a case in cabra about 6 months ago where a taxi done a U-turn before a check point, they went after it thinking the driver had something to hide.

It was quite the opposite in fact, the taxi driver was being held at needle point by this guy who'd been robbing taxi drivers with syringes for the past few weeks.

unkel

I can't believe they waved your man through, OP

bazz26 wrote: »

Usually you see a second patrol car or a motorcycle cop as backup at many checkpoints in the event someone tries to do a u-turn or legger.

FWIW, the last time I saw someone dodge a garda checkpoint (in Lucan) there was indeed an extra bike, which immediately went of in pursuit of the dodger. You could see the expression of "nice one" on everybody's face

mjquinno

nothing more satisfying

unkel wrote: »

I can't believe they waved your man through, OP



FWIW, the last time I saw someone dodge a garda checkpoint (in Lucan) there was indeed an extra bike, which immediately went of in pursuit of the dodger. You could see the expression of "nice one" on everybody's face

HungryJoey

HungryJoey wrote: »

I mean, I have seen over in the UK they setup stingers around the corner from checkpoints so that if anybody does decide to swing around to avoid it they are caught.

/rant over

The police in the uk are not allowed to set up checkpoints in the road and stop all cars like in ireland. They can only stop a driver if he is doing something illegal, has a visible defect on his car or the reg shows up as having no insurance.

Omcd

I have come across the Guards funnelling traffic into checkpoints. A year or two back I wanted to turn left onto the Greenhills Road, but there was Garda at the junction who insisted I turn right. I thought the road to the left was blocked or something, but after turning right, a quarter of mile up the road at the next junction there was a checkpoint, which had not even been visible from the junction I was trying to turn left at due to bends in the road, so now I was going in totally the opposite direction to which I needed to go and in a hurry to be somewhere :rolleyes:

HungryJoey

Maximo Strong Tailor wrote: »

The police in the uk are not allowed to set up checkpoints in the road and stop all cars like in ireland. They can only stop a driver if he is doing something illegal, has a visible defect on his car or the reg shows up as having no insurance.

But they do setup ANPR checkpoints/cameras (Or what ever its called) and they do catch people doing u-turns. Also they do setup spots to pull over any cars that do show up on the ANPR system or any car that has maybe a visable defect as you said. People do try to run from these.

ktc1

pandaboy wrote: »

Best answer to Tax issues "it's in the post"

Tbh, I haven't encountered many checkpoints only at like 12-3 in the morning here in Cork.
Though I do remember coming back from Galway and the looders had a checkpoint on the Ennis By-Pass, wtf like

Yes indeed, the only decent road and dual carriageway in Clare and the only road in twenty years of driving in Clare where I have seen a speed trap. Pure revenue generation and nothing to do with road safety.

HungryJoey

HungryJoey wrote: »

But they do setup ANPR checkpoints/cameras (Or what ever its called) and they do catch people doing u-turns. Also they do setup spots to pull over any cars that do show up on the ANPR system or any car that has maybe a visable defect as you said. People do try to run from these.

Yeah thats correct. I was just pointing out they cannot stop every car at a manned checkpoint in the road like in ireland.

pandaboy

ktc1 wrote: »

Yes indeed, the only decent road and dual carriageway in Clare and the only road in twenty years of driving in Clare where I have seen a speed trap. Pure revenue generation and nothing to do with road safety.

it's a thing of beauty, watching 100+ cars backed up in both lanes. stuck for 30 minutes. fecking idiots.

Bobo78

Friend of mine was caught driving without insurance and tax and nct, about 10 days ago.
He was approaching to the Garda Checkpoint when he made a turn in to other road to try to avoid it, but after a while Garda on the motorbike pulled him over and caught him so he has to go to court now.
Do you what is the fine he is facing now for driving without insurance and tax and nct?

Zube

Bobo78 wrote: »

Do you what is the fine he is facing now for driving without insurance and tax and nct?

Not enough.

John Mason

The check point in finglas is usually outside my house but they have narrowed the road, so they have had to move a about 100 metres down the road.

one night i was getting a taxi home about 2am. the taxi dropped me off and then headed off with friend.

the guards came flying after the taxi, lights the works and started shouting at the taxi man that he was avoiding the checkpoint.

They explained the situation and the guard asked my friend for my address. now being a little worse for wear, she had no idea but told them exactly where the was, she was on the phone to me looking for my address and then the police done a drive by outside my house

all a bit crazy really

seamus

recycle wrote: »

What a joke cuz people not paying a couple hundred quid road tax on their car is a serious threat to the State.

People who drive uninsured are more likely to be guilty of other traffic offences, such as driving without a licence and indeed driving with ridiculously out of date tax and NCT. They're also more likely to be involved in criminal activity, so pulling people with no insurance is great way of also catching people in stolen vehicles, people going equipped to steal (burglars) and the like.


They do sometimes set up additional checkpoint on side roads. Was in the car with the other half driving, down the kimmage road lower. There was a checkpoint with a massive queue. So we skipped down a side road to u-turn and bypass the queue (I don't think we were going anywhere important in any kind of rush). There was a bike there stopping people who were trying to escape the checkpoint.

Heroditas

Bobo78 wrote: »

Do you what is the fine he is facing now for driving without insurance and tax and nct?

A stint in jail hopefully

L1011

Bobo78 wrote: »

Friend of mine was caught driving without insurance and tax and nct, about 10 days ago.
He was approaching to the Garda Checkpoint when he made a turn in to other road to try to avoid it, but after a while Garda on the motorbike pulled him over and caught him so he has to go to court now.
Do you what is the fine he is facing now for driving without insurance and tax and nct?

Insurance - could be thousands, 5 points (enough to make an impact on insurance, if he ever gets any)
Tax - usually a few hundreds
NCT - rare for anyone to get prosecuted for this but he will be, no idea cause of that.

Has he been additionally charged for the trying to avoid? Not sure if it'd stand up in court ('I was just turning around, Judge') but they could at least try for interfering with a Garda in the course of their duties or whatever the offence is called.

furtzy

I thought no insurance was an automatic ban. It used to be

quarryman

I never went through it but was there occasional checkpoints westbound on the N4 just past the Spa Hotel? I'd heard guards would stop cars a little after the hotel entrance. Thinking they were smart, tax-dodgers would pull into the hotel to avoid the check, only to run into another guard waiting for them.

Thought it was a great idea.

Bobo78

As far as I know he is not charged for dodging the checkpoint, but he will appear in court for not having insurance and tax.
This friend of mine only got his driving licence at the beginning of this year and hi s been driving without insurance for quite a while now and his now been caught and his only 18.
After reading some of the posts from the archive i found out that he can get 5 points for no insurance and 5 points for no tax, so that s pretty bad for him now.

ntlbell

I've "dodged" them on occasion simply because I was in a hurry and the line was going to slow.

smart cops would only have them on one way streets

HungryJoey

Bobo78 wrote: »

After reading some of the posts from the archive i found out that he can get 5 points for no insurance and 5 points for no tax, so that s pretty bad for him now.

Should be alot worse for him, 5 points? He'll get over that pretty quickly.

Again IMO a ban should be mandatory if caught without insurance, like they can do it in the UK. None of this slap on the wrist malarkey :rolleyes:

L1011

quarryman wrote: »

I never went through it but was there occasional checkpoints westbound on the N4 just past the Spa Hotel? I'd heard guards would stop cars a little after the hotel entrance. Thinking they were smart, tax-dodgers would pull into the hotel to avoid the check, only to run into another guard waiting for them.

Thought it was a great idea.

How did they intend to get back OUT of the Spa Hotel - sit there till the cops went? Its only got a LI/LO to the N4.

Further proof that only muppets would need to get away

pandaboy

irishbird wrote: »

The check point in finglas is usually outside my house but they have narrowed the road, so they have had to move a about 100 metres down the road.

one night i was getting a taxi home about 2am. the taxi dropped me off and then headed off with friend.

the guards came flying after the taxi, lights the works and started shouting at the taxi man that he was avoiding the checkpoint.

They explained the situation and the guard asked my friend for my address. now being a little worse for wear, she had no idea but told them exactly where the was, she was on the phone to me looking for my address and then the police done a drive by outside my house

all a bit crazy really

who'd they kill?

Lord Nikon

MYOB wrote: »

How did they intend to get back OUT of the Spa Hotel - sit there till the cops went?

Walk down to McDonalds for a BigMac.

quarryman

MYOB wrote: »

How did they intend to get back OUT of the Spa Hotel - sit there till the cops went? Its only got a LI/LO to the N4.

Further proof that only muppets would need to get away

wondered that myself. sitting around for 30 minutes for the checkpoint to go away is probably better than getting caught with no tax i guess.

Or maybe they just wanted to go in for a few MORE pints....