Fines and Points - websites with road traffic offence info.

munchkin_utd

Was driving for the first time in Ireland for 9 years over the past 2 weeks and it was a interesting experience after having just got the licence in Germany (both IRL and N. IRL provisionals expired so did the licence in Germany despite the 1700 euro cost for the über thorough lessons).

General impression though is that theres a combination of no rules and stupid rules. No speed limits being obeyed. Stupid speed limits posted up, both way too high (100kmh signs posted right before hairpin bends) and way too low (motorway quality road signed at 100kmh). Drivers so close to the car in front that its a wonder theres not more accidents. Indicating is optional and using mobile telephones while driving is semi compulsorary.

In keeping with what I saw around me, I motored up and down the country with great abandon! 'Twas great crack. Hardly saw a cop car after 2200 km + of spins. But in hindsight maybe they did catch me doing something or other unaware to me.

With this in mind, is there anywhere on the web that has all the points and fines for the various traffic misdemeanors on one single page?

www.citizensinformation.ie has some information but very spread out and you have to delve deep to see what the story is.

i.e.
Speeding is here, but only speeding:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/travel-and-recreation/roads-and-safety/road_traffic_speed_limits_in_ireland

What would be great would be a table with all the ways you can accumulate points and fines all together concisely listed on one page.

An example of what I'm looking for would be the german DOT chart of ALL fines and points (in English too so no excuse for johnny foreigner to plead innocence!)
http://www.bmvbs.de/en/Transport/Roads-,1900.970156/Schedule-of-Fines.htm

Tefral

http://www.penaltypoints.ie/the_full_list_of_offences.php

www.rsa.ie

a_ominous

Citizens Information has link to penalty points.ie

munchkin_utd

thanks folks.
Thats exactly what I was looking for. (what google cant find boards.ie can!)

From the list all I could be possibly done for is speeding. And thats only 80 yoyo so nothing major. Second and subsequent offences dont seem to be penalised and being way over the limit also seems not to matter (10kmh over is same penalty as 50 kmh over).

Some countries like Belgium are up at about 500 Euro on the spot for the smallest of speeding offences, credit cards accepted!!

Carawaystick

You can only be fined, you can't get points until you exchange your license for one issued here.

Serious speeding is dealt with by careless and dangerous driving charges in court.

There are no On the spot fines here, only fixed penalty charges which you can plead guilty to the alleged offence and pay a fixed penalty, or you can not do this and take your chances in court instead. It would be unconstitutional for a garda to be judge jury and executioner. Only a judge can issue a fine in Ireland.

munchkin_utd

christ it takes a lot to get a dangerous driving conviction it seems so I should be grand on that count. The worst to be expected should be a fine in the post via the car rental company.

I tried to find a legal definition of dangerous driving but no luck (google really doesnt like me today!) but found a lot of court cases of idiots really a hair away from causing death and destruction and getting away relatively lightly.

example. only a 200 euro fine and year ban from driving for the following (all at the same time).
- ignoring garda signal to stop at checkpoint.
- doing 160 through village past church and school
- ignoring garda car signalling to stop
- driving so fast (with guards in persuit) that all 4 wheels left the ground with car oncoming
- having defective front number plate

and the 200 euro fine and year ban for the above was rolled up with an offence a few months later of:
- driving without having insurance

http://www.anglocelt.ie/articles/1/31601

If you only get a 200 fine for that, and thats after ignoring a garda checkpoint and chase to boot, no wonder the roads of Ireland are full of eejits going buck mental on the roads.

xabi_a

Munchkin I can see your point of view. I lived abroad too for many years (Holland and Austria) and coming back to drive in Ireland was always an eye-opener. What struck me most was the lack of concept of driving lanes - just one big wide road and you find your position wherever you like. Trucks driving in the hard shoulder to let people pass, a lot of strange things go on here.

I think the Germans are the best drivers in Europe. I wouldn't say the Irish are the worst, but they're certainly in the lower half of the league. And those soft penalties just go to show that we don't really care. We've been talking about installing proper speed cameras for decades now, but apparently we still have only 6 or so fixed cameras in the country. Unbelievable.

L1011

xabi_a wrote: »

Trucks driving in the hard shoulder to let people pass, a lot of strange things go on here.

Not only is that not specifically Irish (happens everywhere with WS2 roads, fro my driving on the continent we're about the only country in Western Europe that builds WS2 to any great extent though); its actively encouraged in the Rules of the Road here...