What if the penalty for speeding was points only?

flazio

Do you think motorists would be as sceptical about the speed check locations if there was zero money penalties for speeding, just the points on the license? Would points alone be enough of a deterrent?

EazyD

flazio wrote: »

Do you think motorists would be as sceptical about the speed check locations if there was zero money penalties for speeding, just the points on the license? Would points alone be enough of a deterrent?

Four shots and your out so I'm guessing it would/is for the vast majority.

joujoujou

It is indeed.

Plenty of people would be more than happy to pay twice as much (or even more) and get no points. I know a number of them.

If it was only a fine getting caught wouldn't bother me near as much. Its the points that people don't want.

Chris_Heilong

If they take away the money penalties it would feel like a fairer system, IMO it should be either money or points but not both.

Infracted

I dont know. I do little mileage and not unknown to speed. The current regime suits me grand. The odd crackdown makes little difference to me, Ive meet 1 camera this year while driving. A sliding scale of fines dependent on the speed youre caught at would be more useful than the current discriminant 3 points no matter what speed youre at. I dont know about you but I certainly cant get the logic of only slightly speeding on a motorway when the fine is the exact same if you really put the foot down some more.

I think we need a system which takes into consideration where and when you are caught. Speeding outside a school between 8am and 5pm should attract a bigger fine than 115km/h on a dual carriageway at 5.30am in the morning.

The current system for speeding really is to the advantage of the mainly urban low mileage driver like myself. It really screws high mileage mainly motorway drivers.

CiniO

Very good idea, but should be graduated.
Situation where you get 3 points for doing 125km/h on motorway (where you exceed speed limit by 4%) same as 3 points for doing 60km/h in 30km/h zone (where you exceed speed limit by 100%) is just completely ridiculous.

Let's say 100% above the limit = 10 points
80% = 8 points
60% = 6 points
40% = 4 points
20% = 2 point
10% = 1 point
5% = 0.5 point

And increase penalty points limit to 20.

dr.fuzzenstein

Only issue, enforcement costs money. Be that the Gardai or Gosafe.
If there wasn't a monetary penalty, the funding would have to come from somewhere.
So would you rather pay more motor tax or higher income tax?

challengemaster

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Only issue, enforcement costs money. Be that the Gardai or Gosafe.
If there wasn't a monetary penalty, the funding would have to come from somewhere.
So would you rather pay more motor tax or higher income tax?

Well consider for a moment that the Gardaí are already a state resource and will be working and paid for either way. The cost for them (€1,323,573,000) doesn't go away if you remove enforcement altogether (as is already quite visible).

dr.fuzzenstein

challengemaster wrote: »

Well consider for a moment that the Gardaí are already a state resource and will be working and paid for either way. The cost for them (€1,323,573,000) doesn't go away if you remove enforcement altogether (as is already quite visible).

Hehe, nice. And true.
But we'd have to get rid of gosafe. That means Garda overtime and possibly extra manpower.
So, not quite as free as we think.

wonski

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Hehe, nice. And true.
But we'd have to get rid of gosafe. That means Garda overtime and possibly extra manpower.
So, not quite as free as we think.

Leave Gosafe to issue points only;)

Not gonna happen anyway, not to mention that loads of non driving license / permit holders would be more than happy to take points for a small charge from the drivers who don't want points if you know what I mean,

ironclaw

The only way people learn is if it costs them financially. A few points will up their insurance but very few people would be thinking of that when they are hammering along above the limit. The fine should be relative to the speed and number of offences. 130 in a 120 should be €80, but 100 in a 60 should be double that.

For all the talk of Autobahn etc on the forum here, its staggering that when there is a limit (And I mean, there are commonly sections that are 60!) everyone slows and obeys them to the km. So the lad in the Zonda will be doing the same as the guy in the Fabia, until the limit rises again. That does not happen in Ireland. In fact, I was recently in such a section and had heavy traffic to my right, so unable to move right for a moment I panicked thinking 'Well, there's going to be some **** up my boot in a moment pushing me to move', didn't happen and in fact the line of cars ahead of me slowed as well to the limit. As soon as we excited that section, it was business as usual, slow traffic stayed right, we hammered off in the left.