Penalty points & fine?

AJ295

Hi guys,

Got pulled over by the Gardaí the other night and I didn't have my "L" Plates up. The Garda took my license and was asking questions about who owned the car etc and some general chit chat. Seemed like a nice bloke but who knows.

Anyways, just wondering if they tell you that you are going to be fined and receive points or if it's just a waiting game. As I said the bloke seemed nice so i dunno if he let me away with it after telling me to put the plates up or if I'll get them in the post.

Cheers in advance

pablo128

AJ295 wrote: »

Hi guys,

Got pulled over by the Gardaí the other night and I didn't have my "L" Plates up. The Garda took my license and was asking questions about who owned the car etc and some general chit chat. Seemed like a nice bloke but who knows.

Anyways, just wondering if they tell you that you are going to be fined and receive points or if it's just a waiting game. As I said the bloke seemed nice so i dunno if he let me away with it after telling me to put the plates up or if I'll get them in the post.

Cheers in advance

Did you have the accompanying driver with you? I don't think the plates alone would get you points.

AJ295

pablo128 wrote: »

Did you have the accompanying driver with you? I don't think the plates alone would get you points.

No didn't have the driver either. 2 points for non display of plates & 2 for no accompanying driver.

Tigger

AJ295 wrote: »

No didn't have the driver either. 2 points for non display of plates & 2 for no accompanying driver.

You only get the 2 but they count double as you are an inexperienced driver

meathstevie

Simple question, did he take a note of your personal details ? Hardly going to fix you up with a ticket if he didn't ask for dob and address and the like. Most, I'd say nearly all, will inform you there and then of the intention to issue an FPN.

Pkiernan

The guard has your details from your license. You'll be getting 4 points and fines totalling 140 euro in the post.
The points will most likely result in an increase in your insurance next renewal, though you should inform your insurer when you get them.

Esel

Chances are you are done. Only (slim) chance you have is if you are not a bloke.

_Brian

Seems some guards just take the details from the liscence and follow up the points and fine later without saying anything at the time, probably to avoid any agro on the roadside.

In fairness OP, why did you intentionally break the law knowing how serious the results are. I expect 4 points will have a serious impact on your insurance for a few years.

monkeysnapper

This kind of thing gets right on my nerves .

Why have a test at all if learners can just break law and drive around on own .

I see learners all time with l plates driving on own around where I live , its a farce .

Morning rant over ,thank you ...

Speedwell

Well, I had L plates up and was driving on my own for months... because I am a middle-aged woman immigrating from America with a fully valid driving license from there, and my husband has vision problems that prevent him from driving. The RSA rep in the office told me she wasn't sure but she thought I wasn't allowed to drive alone after getting my learners' permit regardless, but a local garda told me he thought I'd be fine and he wouldn't record it as a violation so long as my American license was still current and it was less than a year since I moved here. I probably have a certified "no claims" period longer than the number of years of driving experience of most busybodies who would have questioned me. Without family or friends nearby upon whom I could call for sitting pointlessly next to me, I would have been completely unable to go to job interviews, medical specialist appointments, or the pet shop for a large bag of cat food, ffs.

Charles Babbage

Speedwell wrote: »

Well, I had L plates up and was driving on my own for months... because I am a middle-aged woman immigrating from America with a fully valid driving license from there, and my husband has vision problems that prevent him from driving. The RSA rep in the office told me she wasn't sure but she thought I wasn't allowed to drive alone after getting my learners' permit regardless, but a local garda told me he thought I'd be fine and he wouldn't record it as a violation so long as my American license was still current and it was less than a year since I moved here. I probably have a certified "no claims" period longer than the number of years of driving experience of most busybodies who would have questioned me. Without family or friends nearby upon whom I could call for sitting pointlessly next to me, I would have been completely unable to go to job interviews, medical specialist appointments, or the pet shop for a large bag of cat food, ffs.

This is not analogous to the previous situation.

_Brian

Speedwell wrote: »

Well, I had L plates up and was driving on my own for months... because I am a middle-aged woman immigrating from America with a fully valid driving license from there, and my husband has vision problems that prevent him from driving. The RSA rep in the office told me she wasn't sure but she thought I wasn't allowed to drive alone after getting my learners' permit regardless, but a local garda told me he thought I'd be fine and he wouldn't record it as a violation so long as my American license was still current and it was less than a year since I moved here. I probably have a certified "no claims" period longer than the number of years of driving experience of most busybodies who would have questioned me. Without family or friends nearby upon whom I could call for sitting pointlessly next to me, I would have been completely unable to go to job interviews, medical specialist appointments, or the pet shop for a large bag of cat food, ffs.

So it's ok for you to break the law to go buy catfood because you couldn't be bothered having an accompanying qualified driver. The law is there to protect you (and more importantly us from you) not just to create inconvenience.

EagererBeaver

*waits for future moan about price of insurance*

corglass

Yea, the OP never mentioned any cats

TonyStark

Speedwell wrote: »

Well, I had L plates up and was driving on my own for months... because I am a middle-aged woman immigrating from America with a fully valid driving license from there, and my husband has vision problems that prevent him from driving. The RSA rep in the office told me she wasn't sure but she thought I wasn't allowed to drive alone after getting my learners' permit regardless, but a local garda told me he thought I'd be fine and he wouldn't record it as a violation so long as my American license was still current and it was less than a year since I moved here. I probably have a certified "no claims" period longer than the number of years of driving experience of most busybodies who would have questioned me. Without family or friends nearby upon whom I could call for sitting pointlessly next to me, I would have been completely unable to go to job interviews, medical specialist appointments, or the pet shop for a large bag of cat food, ffs.

The simple solution to this is to sit and pass a driving test. The law of the land is that you must be accompanied whilst learning to drive and have L plates. A learners permit is not a carte blanche for day to day driving.

I've known Americans that have had to do the driving test afresh after moving here.

Speedwell

Yes, I did the driving test and passed it and now have my full license. I also had 30 years driving experience and a full American license valid for driving in Ireland at the same time. Don't be a bunch of reactionary asses.

GreatDefector

Tigger wrote: »

You only get the 2 but they count double as you are an inexperienced driver

Points count double? I've heard some crap on here bit this ranks on top for sure

2 for non display of L or N plates. 4 if you let it go to court. Nothing to do with your license type

I assume you meant that an L/N driver can only accrue 7 points instead of 12 but that's not the same thing as "double" points

biko

It is a waiting game. If they bothered to take your details they most likely will pass it on for points.
That said, they may have decided later it's not worth the paperwork.

Worrying in advance is a waste of energy.

Esel

corglass wrote: »

Yea, the OP never mentioned any cats

Was Trigger actually a high horse, or was Roy just small?

Above not @you, btw.

The_Honeybadger

meathstevie wrote: »

Simple question, did he take a note of your personal details ? Hardly going to fix you up with a ticket if he didn't ask for dob and address and the like. Most, I'd say nearly all, will inform you there and then of the intention to issue an FPN.

I got stopped a while back for doing slightly over the limit in an urban area. I was in Dublin in an unfamiliar area and was watching for directional signage more than my speed and slipped over the limit.

Guard seemed absolutely sound. Took my details, asked where I was going and I told him and we had a brief chat about football after I gave my address. He told me to drive on but just watch my speed from now on. He deliberately gave me the impression that I was just getting a warning IMO.

The fixed charge notice arrived the week after. I've no problem taking the fine and points at all, but I'd have preferred if he had told me straight up that I'd be getting three points. I thought it was fairly odd behaviour to be honest.

Henry Ford III

AJ295 wrote: »

No didn't have the driver either. 2 points for non display of plates & 2 for no accompanying driver.

Sounds pretty brazen tbh. I'd get the test booked a.s.a.p.

Pass that and things will become simpler.

AJ295

Cheers for all the replies guys. I know I was breaking th law and have no problem with the points or a fine it was just a questions of knowing rather than waiting. Genuinely think most people are on this site to make themselves feel a lot more important than they are in their own lives. Get off the high horses. It was a simple question either answer or don't no need for the lectures or the patronising attitudes. To everyone else with genuine replies cheers again 😉

Esel

AJ295 wrote: »

Cheers for all the replies guys. I know I was breaking th law and have no problem with the points or a fine it was just a questions of knowing rather than waiting. Genuinely think most people are on this site to make themselves feel a lot more important than they are in their own lives. Get off the high horses. It was a simple question either answer or don't no need for the lectures or the patronising attitudes. To everyone else with genuine replies cheers again

Eh, no. You asked. No-one ripped you a new one - yet.

TonyStark

Esel wrote: »

Eh, no. You asked. No-one ripped you a new one - yet.

There seems to be a lot to learn by a lot of people in this thread. :-)

Arcade_Tryer

They've certainly clamped down on learner driver regulations in recent years.

Only a few years ago I was stopped by a squad car and an unmarked car for stalking a woman and following her car through the town and countryside at night. I was a learner driver, had no L plates displayed, and was accompanied by another learner driver only. I also didn't stop initially for the guards. Didn't receive any points or fine fortunately.

ofcork

Why were you stalking someone???

Arcade_Tryer

It was a case of mistaken identity more than anything else.

Scary for all parties involved at the time though.