Changes in penalty points for certain offences

Victor

http://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/currentissues/Ir250714.PDF

S.I. No. 345 of 2014. ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 2014 (SECTION 10(a) AND (f)) (COMMENCEMENT) ORDER 2014.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

This order commences parts of section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 2014 from 1 August, 2014. The effect is to increase the number of penalty points associated with speeding, holding a phone while driving, disobeying a school traffic warden sign, and a number of seat restraint offences.

Price: €1.27.

SECRETARY GENERAL,
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
July 2014.

L1011

I thought the phone related offence had been changed to court-requisite already (some weeks to months ago), are there further changes since or did the media get that one wrong?

Spook_ie

The phone offence is additional to using the phone. ( non handfree) and includes texting even if the phone is in a cradle

Carawaystick

Victor wrote: »

http://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/currentissues/Ir250714.PDF

This is off topic here, but why does the online pdf of Iris Oifigiúil not have hyperlinks to the documentation?
Or at least mention the documents are available online?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

vickers209

Listing of all changes attached

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Licensed%20Drivers/Penalty_Points_Changes.pdf

Some new offenses coming in on 1st January 2015 in particular no nct and dangerous parking will no longer being a mandatory court appearance but 3 points.
No change on driving down motorway wrong way. :mad: should be a mandatory court appearance and a ban

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Victor

Carawaystick wrote: »

This is off topic here, but why does the online pdf of Iris Oifigiúil not have hyperlinks to the documentation?
Or at least mention the documents are available online?

Iris Oifigiúil often publishes notices of 'events' that happen the same day. It sometimes take a week or two to get the documents on www.irishstatutebook.ie The most recent SI here: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2014/statutory.html is 336/2014 (17 July 2014), so there are about 9 of them floating about in the system that have been signed, but not circulated publicly.

Separately, as the official gazette, IO is a deliberately 'sober' document and shouldn't have to deal with the ins and outs of things like URLs changing years down the line.

steveblack

Holding a phone while driving, disobeying a school traffic warden sign.

See these two on a regular basis, seriously selfish acts.
Whatever it is about it can wait until you park before you reply on your phone, and whats the big rush that you ignore lollipop ladies who are trying to usher children safely across the road.
I really hope they crack down hard on these self absorbed assholes.

No Pants

Unimaginative, just increasing the potential penalty for everything and providing an incentive for avoiding court.

Has anyone ever heard of someone being convicted for dangerous parking. Going by what I've seen being ignored already, does it have to involve explosives to qualify?

corktina

They can make as many changes as they want but until the Law is enforced rigourously and fairly, it's all a waste of effort.

Marhay70

corktina wrote: »

They can make as many changes as they want but until the Law is enforced rigourously and fairly, it's all a waste of effort.

Absolutely. Followed a Garda patrol car through a popular seaside resort on a hot day and the number of illegally and dangerously parked cars was in the hundreds. The Gardaí did absolutely nothing even though there were cars parked on pedestrian crossings, junctions, bus stops and double and even triple parked on the main road and God help any minibus from St. Michael's House or the like, looking for a disabled bay.
I remember taking a similar issue up with a local councillor in my own area some time ago and his answer was that local traders lobby Councillors and TDs to have a blind eye turned to motoring offences in these areas, particlarly in fine weather. I've never been able to verify that because naturally, all those concerned deny it but I suspect it is probably true and is symptomatic of how politics works in Ireland.

HurtLocker

vickers209 wrote: »

Listing of all changes attached

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Licensed%20Drivers/Penalty_Points_Changes.pdf

Some new offenses coming in on 1st January 2015 in particular no nct and dangerous parking will no longer being a mandatory court appearance but 3 points.
No change on driving down motorway wrong way. :mad: should be a mandatory court appearance and a ban

Feel sorry for any Learner permit holder driving accompanied by a qualified driver (number 22). 1 penalty point to 2

corktina

HurtLocker wrote: »

Feel sorry for any Learner permit holder driving accompanied by a qualified driver (number 22). 1 penalty point to 2

presumably that's a typo! Hard to find one doing that if it's correct.!

Gosub

So, number 6, failure to drive vehicle on left. Does this mean that middle lane and passing lane hoggers will be tackled? Nah, probably not. :cool:

HurtLocker

Does anyone know the story with if one if caught holding his phone accessing information. Is it penalty points for holding the phone or a court summons for accessing information?

Tbh all these changes won't affect much. If you are willing to use your phone before you'll still use it if you are the average motorist between 0 and 6 penalty points. The increase in penalty points will push another set of drivers near the banning point so I'd expect if these increases are meet with increased enforcement (unlikely) our courts are going to become a lot busier with people on 6 and 9 points fighting to stop their tally increasing. If gatso vans get permission to leave their current spots god help the poor judges.


I honestly don't know what to make of them. In my opinion copying the French and making breathalysers mandatory in cars would trump all the above changes. I find them dead handy and don't understand why more don't carry them and use them.

HurtLocker

Gosub wrote: »

So, number 6, failure to drive vehicle on left. Does this mean that middle lane and passing lane hoggers will be tackled? Nah, probably not. :cool:

It ensures those driving down the motorway the wrong way know which lane to use.

punisher5112

Well my licence would be gone as I am leaving the garage/depot as a bus driver as every road we are on we have to cross dummy islands, white lines, footpaths, double and single white lines.

Can't make it into most bus stops because cars,taxi,vans,trucks or coaches are parked in them.

Will have to watch my heavy right foot.

Victor

HurtLocker wrote: »

Does anyone know the story with if one if caught holding his phone accessing information. Is it penalty points for holding the phone or a court summons for accessing information?

As they are separate offences, potentially both.