Garda personal cars

Redgirl82

This is a bit of an odd question but it was a discussion at weekend and nobody seemed to know if correct or not. Basically, a Garda cannot have a large engine car for personal use until they do an advanced driving course in the Garda.

The person who said it seemed full sure it was true. Said they can max out at a 1.4 engine and that is why you see lots of new Garda in small cars. Once qualified for a while they can do the driving course and then buy a bigger engine car.

No idea myself and nobody could say if it was true or not. Just wondering if anyone has heard this.

The conversation came up because I drove past a young Garda in a Garda car that day. He looked about 12 but I know he wasn't, maybe I am just getting old.. He had an older Garda with him who looked like he was giving him a lesson. :P The car was a Mondeo or something Garda like but I would guess it was 1.9/2ltr something

Henry Ford III

Surely they can own and drive whatever they like privately?

Dravokivich

We tell young folks to get small cars. Why would the Gardaí be different?

Midnight_EG

What you heard is bollix

James Bond Junior

I asked a friend who is a Traffic Corp member something similar recently. The threshold is 200bhp. He had not the required advanced driving course so he was unable to drive the biturbo insignia's as they were in excess of 200bhp.

Edit: Just reread the OP, what a load of rubbish. Garda managment couldn't have any say on what a Garda drives in their private lives. On the job is a different matter obviously.

Tacitus Kilgore

They get jailed if they are caught wearing their hat in their private car too, so they do.




You see young Gardai in small cars because they're on low salaries, starting out.

Redgirl82

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I asked a friend who is a Traffic Corp member something similar recently. The threshold is 200bhp. He had not the required advanced driving course so he was unable to drive the biturbo insignia's as they were in excess of 200bhp.

So maybe this person had it half right. They seemed to think it was based on engine size and they had to be restricted.

While on the job maybe.
Personal cars, sure a load of them have fast ****ing bikes.

Tacitus Kilgore

Redgirl82 wrote: »

So maybe this person had it half right. They seemed to think it was based on engine size and they had to be restricted.

Nah, they had it right in the sense that they can't drive the 'high powered' Garda vehicles until they're trained to drive them.

They can drive whatever the fupp they want on their own time.

JoeA3

Friend of mine is a Guard and he's had a string of performance cars in the last 10-12 years... GTI's, VRS's, etc. Currently he's in a Seat Cupra.

It's his personal car... I don't think what you heard has any basis in reality.

Reati

Redgirl82 wrote: »

This is a bit of an odd question but it was a discussion at weekend and nobody seemed to know if correct or not. Basically, a Garda cannot have a large engine car for personal use until they do an advanced driving course in the Garda.

Are you sure it wasn't personnel not personal that was the word used?

Garda personnel can t drive a large bhp car without a training course makes sense

Isambard

i expect some Gards drive low powered cars because it suits their usage. Same as any other group of people.

pah

Redgirl82 wrote: »

This is a bit of an odd question but it was a discussion at weekend and nobody seemed to know if correct or not. Basically, a Garda cannot have a large engine car for personal use until they do an advanced driving course in the Garda.

The person who said it seemed full sure it was true. Said they can max out at a 1.4 engine and that is why you see lots of new Garda in small cars. Once qualified for a while they can do the driving course and then buy a bigger engine car.

No idea myself and nobody could say if it was true or not. Just wondering if anyone has heard this.

The conversation came up because I drove past a young Garda in a Garda car that day. He looked about 12 but I know he wasn't, maybe I am just getting old.. He had an older Garda with him who looked like he was giving him a lesson. :P The car was a Mondeo or something Garda like but I would guess it was 1.9/2ltr something

https://www.thejournal.ie/garda-training-4438912-Jan2019/

CBD1 - Can drive official cars after a driving assessment up to a certain power output - roughly a 2 ltr engine - restricted in the use of lights/sirens etc

CBD2 - as above but with extensive training in driving techniques & vehicle pursuit but still limited to same power output as CBD1

CBD3 - Advanced course which raises the power restrictions of CBD2


There are no restrictions on personal vehicles

EDIT - You see lots of new Gardaí in small cars because the money is sh1te, especially during the first phase of training

Cee-Jay-Cee

Absolute rubbish. There are no restrictions on what private cars they can drive.

RobbieMD

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I asked a friend who is a Traffic Corp member something similar recently. The threshold is 200bhp. He had not the required advanced driving course so he was unable to drive the biturbo insignia's as they were in excess of 200bhp.

Edit: Just reread the OP, what a load of rubbish. Garda managment couldn't have any say on what a Garda drives in their private lives. On the job is a different matter obviously.

The max power a Garda on CBD1/2 can drive without the advanced course is 85kw/tonne power rating. That generally covers most 2lt cars, although the bulk of the current fleet is 1.6/1.7 diesel Hyundai’s.

And no management can’t interfer in what car a member drives in his/her own time

PrettyBoy

Redgirl82 wrote: »

This is a bit of an odd question but it was a discussion at weekend and nobody seemed to know if correct or not. Basically, a Garda cannot have a large engine car for personal use until they do an advanced driving course in the Garda.

The person who said it seemed full sure it was true. Said they can max out at a 1.4 engine and that is why you see lots of new Garda in small cars. Once qualified for a while they can do the driving course and then buy a bigger engine car.

Don't believe anything that gimp tells you in future.

MrMusician18

Gardai often use their own personal vehicle on official business. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a personal vehicle that was high powered, they wouldn't be allowed to use that vehicle on official business until they had done the driving course. Perhaps it's something like this that's gotten lost in translation?

There is no restrictions on them owning or operating high powered vehicles while off duty, no more than any other person anyway.