Penalty points, garda access

Snipp

Does anyone know if Gardai have access to the number of penalty points a driver already has after handing over a licence and checking the driver number?
The reason I ask is I was pulled over for speeding yesterday. I hopped that by letting him know the severity of my situation (currently have 9 points), he may cut me some slack. I handed over my licence, he called in to the station to check the driver number etc. He then focused solely on my tire thread dept and said that they all needed to be changed asap etc. After looking it up, it seems defective tyres results in 2pp while 3pp results in disqualification in my case.
I always thought the gardai dont have access to the number of points on ones licence but maybe they do? Can anyone shed light on this please?

Atlantic Dawn

Yes they would have access to it.

You clearly havn't learned your lesson with your previous 9 points and are even worse driving over the limit with defective tyres, perhaps a time off the road is needed to focus your mind.

coylemj

Are you implying that, on discovering that you had 9 points, he then desperately looked for something that would push you over the limit?

Is this about privacy rights/civil liberties or is the bottom line that you're admitting to driving around with 9 penalty points and four bald tyres?

Maybe practice tells him that someone with 9 points is probably worth checking out, in your case it seems he was right.

the_pen_turner

i dont know but surely telling the guarda that you have been penalised for silimaler stuff already will make the guarda less simpathetic.
if you have no points and were claiming to have aciidentally went over the limit you would be more likely to be given a warning.


as for the tires. are they below the tread depth

Snipp

the_pen_turner wrote: »

i dont know but surely telling the guarda that you have been penalised for silimaler stuff already will make the guarda less simpathetic.
if you have no points and were claiming to have aciidentally went over the limit you would be more likely to be given a warning.


as for the tires. are they below the tread depth

The tread dept isn't as bad as he seemed to think. NCT was only passed 6months previous.

Snipp

coylemj wrote: »

Are you implying that, on discovering that you had 9 points, he then desperately looked for something that would push you over the limit?

Is this about privacy rights/civil liberties or is the bottom line that you're admitting to driving around with 9 penalty points and four bald tyres?

Maybe practice tells him that someone with 9 points is probably worth checking out, in your case it seems he was right.

No. I am wondering did he look to give me 2 points for tyres instead of 3 for speeding to avoid suspending me.

Stheno

Snipp wrote: »

No. I am wondering did he look to give me 2 points for tyres instead of 3 for speeding to avoid suspending me.

Unlikely

the_pen_turner

Snipp wrote: »

The tread dept isn't as bad as he seemed to think. NCT was only passed 6months previous.

that doesnt matter. they could be worn out a week later

the_pen_turner

Snipp wrote: »

No. I am wondering did he look to give me 2 points for tyres instead of 3 for speeding to avoid suspending me.

it depends on why you goy the 9 . if they were some of the less serious ones then maybe buy inlikely

Old Perry

Snipp wrote: »

No. I am wondering did he look to give me 2 points for tyres instead of 3 for speeding to avoid suspending me.

You'll find out I guess. Surely the 1st 2 or 3 points you got are due to expire soon enough?

The high horse brigade

Snipp wrote: »

The tread dept isn't as bad as he seemed to think. NCT was only passed 6months previous.

What mileage has the car done since the NCT? 6 months could wear a few mm depending on the mileage

Snipp

Old Perry wrote: »

You'll find out I guess. Surely the 1st 2 or 3 points you got are due to expire soon enough?

Yeh first 3 are due to expire at the end of the summer.

deathtocaptcha

Snipp wrote: »

I hopped[sic] that by letting him know the severity of my situation (currently have 9 points), he may cut me some slack.

The severity of your situation clearly wasn't of concern to you in the minutes prior to you getting pulled over.

There will be no mercy shown. If anything it acts as a bigger incentive to give you 3 points because it shows you've disobeyed rules of the road multiple times in the past and if you're still doing it then you become a threat to other road users and society at large than someone with no previous points - in which case 3 points could act as a big wake up call and change their behavior.

Old Perry

Snipp wrote: »

Yeh first 3 are due to expire at the end of the summer.

Yeah hopefully he'll be lenient. Did he get ya with a gun?

Del2005

Snipp wrote: »

No. I am wondering did he look to give me 2 points for tyres instead of 3 for speeding to avoid suspending me.

I'd say he's given you 3 for speeding and 2 for the tyres, unfortunately you will still only end up with the 3. If more than one tyre is defective do you get points for each tyre or only 2 points even if the 4 are on canvas?

mikeecho

I don't understand how people amass 9+ points.

I regularly speed, and have never been stopped or snapped by a van.

A little observation on the road, and regular maintaince of your car is all that's needed.

Killinator

Del2005 wrote: »

Snipp wrote: »

No. I am wondering did he look to give me 2 points for tyres instead of 3 for speeding to avoid suspending me.

I'd say he's given you 3 for speeding and 2 for the tyres, unfortunately you will still only end up with the 3. If more than one tyre is defective do you get points for each tyre or only 2 points even if the 4 are on canvas?

He could give a ticket for each tire. The points will still only be for highest offence but he'd have to pay for each ticket.
Alternatively if the guard was so minded he could seize the car to have it psv'd for potentially being dangerously defective

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

I'd say he's given you 3 for speeding and 2 for the tyres, unfortunately you will still only end up with the 3. If more than one tyre is defective do you get points for each tyre or only 2 points even if the 4 are on canvas?

What would be the point in giving OP 5 points all together if he already has 9.
3 is all he needs to reset to zero, so whether he gets 3, 5, or 20, it's still going to be the same effect. 6 months ban.

It would be very good system TBH, if not insurance companies which interfere and fiddle with their premium because of that.

CiniO

mikeecho wrote: »

I don't understand how people amass 9+ points.

I regularly speed, and have never been stopped or snapped by a van.

A little observation on the road, and regular maintaince of your car is all that's needed.

Depends where you live.
I also speed all the time and never been caught in Ireland, but most of my driving is in rural area, where there is absolutely zero enforecement.
If I've driven in Dublin like I drive here in Mayo, I would probably collect over 100 points every year.

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

Depends where you live.
I also speed all the time and never been caught in Ireland, but most of my driving is in rural area, where there is absolutely zero enforecement.
If I've driven in Dublin like I drive here in Mayo, I would probably collect over 100 points every year.

One time, a few years ago, I thought I was an absolute gonner in a small village in Mayo- speed van bang at the 50 KM limit- i think I was still doing about 70. He must have been either setting up or taking down as nothing ever arrived. Phew!:D

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

What would be the point in giving OP 5 points all together if he already has 9.
3 is all he needs to reset to zero, so whether he gets 3, 5, or 20, it's still going to be the same effect. 6 months ban.

It would be very good system TBH, if not insurance companies which interfere and fiddle with their premium because of that.

Hopefully a longer ban. I'm far from an angel behind the wheel but if I had 9 points I wouldn't be spending and regardless of how many points I'd never drive a car with bald tyres.

bucketybuck

Snipp wrote: »

The tread dept isn't as bad as he seemed to think. NCT was only passed 6months previous.

That post is ignorant on so many levels.

Snipp

mikeecho wrote: »

I don't understand how people amass 9+ points.

I regularly speed, and have never been stopped or snapped by a van.

A little observation on the road, and regular maintaince of your car is all that's needed.

I do huge mileage all over Ireland. 3 speeding fines over 3 years is easier to achieve than a lot might aniticipate that don’t travel as much.

Kimbot

Snipp wrote: »

I do huge mileage all over Ireland. 3 speeding fines over 3 years is easier to achieve than a lot might aniticipate that don’t travel as much.

Achieving 0 points across 3 years is even easier

I have approx 200k miles in the last 3 years and no points to show for it.

Riva10

jonnycivic wrote: »

Achieving 0 points across 3 years is even easier

I have approx 200k miles in the last 3 years and no points to show for it.

jonnycivic, you are not trying hard enough,

Kimbot

Riva10 wrote: »

jonnycivic, you are not trying hard enough,

Dam, Ill try harder..... add an ould led weight to my right foot now

Effects

Snipp wrote: »

The tread dept isn't as bad as he seemed to think. NCT was only passed 6months previous.

Snipp wrote: »

I do huge mileage all over Ireland.

That makes sense. Passing the NCT half a year ago and doing huge milage shouldn't equate to wearing your tyres down.