Penalty points

Seth Brundle

Has anyone received them, and for doing what speed in what zone (e.g. 40 in 30 zone). Did it include a photo?
I am asking as i have not yet come accross who has (admitted that they have) points endorsed on their licence.
Of those of you who have points - has your insurance been affected (if ypou renewed since)?
Cheers
Killian

the evil belly

the mother got 2 for 40 odd in a 30 zone coming up to a roundabout on a dual carrigeway. i swa something in the paper the other day which said that the government was giving insurance companies access to the points info but penalties would only be imposed on those with 6 points or more. not sure exactly what the dael is though and when it'll come into effect. i think at the moment you only have to tell your insurance company if they ask

MAC_E

The Guards were in the news there last night. Their not going to enform Penalty points on anything besides dangerous driving, speeding etc because of problems with the system in place for tracking the points.

ando

so whats the penalty points covering ? anybody got a list of things that can result in getting points like amber gambling or bus lane usuage?

herbie747

I got 2 points for speeding about 2 weeks after the system came into effect.

I was doing 55 in a 30 zone. It was a Sunday morning and there was NO traffic. I was on the Malahide Road (near Griffith Avenue), which has 2 wide lanes.
I was going a bit too fast, but it's a ridicilous speed limit for such a big main road...
I've slowed down since...but haven't come accross any since....pain in the ass.

toloola

I got 2 points for doing 46 in a 30. Got 80 euro fine and two points. Awell my insurance is up at the end of the month and my insurance company are going to put up my insurance by 250 euro. **** or what. Its not as if i don`t pay the B"%&"*d enought as it is. It`s a scam.

Next time i`m driving past the garda given them the two fingered wave. There that slow the will never catch me.

Karma

regarding speed cameras

PH01

I got caught braking a red light back in the first week January. The cop said I was going to get done - '...see you in court...' he said. Haven't heard anything since, and hopefully I won't.

But I have to say I'm been pretty much law abiding ever since. Keeping to the speed limit - well most of the time anyway.

pclancy

I got caught on the Lucan road in September doing 66 in a 50 zone. Didnt pay the fine (forgot!) then got a notice in the post about 8 weeks ago. Paid it then but didnt hear anything about points. I take it if you were caught before it was brought in you dont get diddly. Dont think cos its a long time ago you wont hear from them. They probably have piles of stuff to get through, but laugh quietly to themselves as they munch they're donuts cos they know they'll get you eventualy!

ZeFrog

Hi all,

I ve been fined yesterday (

I was driving 46 instead of 30 mph. (according to the lad, I was somehow driving faster than the 3 cars ahead of me ...)

The fine is 80 f...... euros which I m going to pay.

The thing I'm afraid of is points taken out and the possible impact on the insurance!

I have a French car and a French driving license. I wanted to get Irish insurance as I m resident here.

But do you think I can pay the fine and give the garda my licence number and expect it s gonna be ok because it s a foreign licence, or do you think I am doomed ???

Do I have to buy a bicycle ???


nb : they have my name, address and reg.

Seth Brundle

if you have a non-Irish licence then there is nothing they can do to in the way of endorsments.

ZeFrog

Good stuff.


This morning I drove through Phoenix parc, like everyday. I paid attention and noticed that the speed limit is 30. NOBODY respect that limit, of course. It is impossible. I personnally would have to wake up 45 mn earlier, and would have angry drivers sticking up me arse!


I suppose cops have a quota, they have got to arrest x amount of people a month.

What I do not get is why they arrest guys like me (11 years old car in a poor state, clearly broke!) instead of arresting those loaded b***** driving BMW or Mercedes who can not respect the speed limitation anyway and who wouldn t give a damn about a fine even if it was twice as much to be paid.


:mad: :mad:

Robbo

if you have a non-Irish licence then there is nothing they can do to in the way of endorsments.

Any idea how long you can get away with having a foreign licence? I'm in England ATM and I'm surrendering my full Irish for a full English licence. I'm moving back in September and it could be useful in certain circumstances...

Seth Brundle

not sure but my wife has a Norn Iron licence and has done for the past 8 or 9 years and is as valid as any other.
Legally I believe you are meant to apply for an Irish licence but then again you are in Ireland!!!

Stephen

I thought if you had a full licence from any EU member state you could use it here for as long as you like?

Our man in Havana

Question about duration of points?


My brother got caught on Jan 10 this year, paid up €80 and then got a notice in April stating that 2 points were endorsred and that the points would last for 3 years from 5th may 2003!

Does this sound right? If so it seems the points are there for 3 years and 1 month?

Anyone know anything about this?

Victor

This averages about 100 per day, which implies there must only be about 10 Gardaí handing them out (or there is one mother of a backlog).

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/654221?view=Eircomnet

Over 17,000 get penalty points since October
From:ireland.com
Thursday, 1st May, 2003

More than 17,000 motorists have been issued with penalty points since the system began last October, the Minister for Transport said today.

Mr Brennan pointed to statistics showing the system had brought a 32 per cent drop in road deaths in the period from October 31st, 2002, to April 28th of this year.

The number of road deaths recorded for this six-month period was 143, a drop of 68 on the same period in the preceding 12 months when 211 people died on the roads.

The Department of Transport figures show 17,361 drivers have received two penalty points, 245 have received four, eight got six points, and one driver in Dublin has accumulated eight penalty points.

The figures also give a county-by-county breakdown showing Dublin at the top of the league where 4,867 drivers had points added to their licence. Cork was second with 1,930 and Kildare in third place with 738. Co Leitrim saw the least amount of penalty point issued, with 87 drivers penalised.

Penalty points were introduced for speeding offences only last October. Drivers caught speeding get two points on their licences or four points if they choose to contest the violation in court and lose. An accumulation of 12 points means disqualification for six months.

Mr Brennan also confirmed the Department would be proceeding with the introduction of penalty points for driving without insurance from June 1st - and the non-wearing of a seatbelt from July 1st next.

Commenting on today's figures, he said: "The message to those drivers who speed is stark and simple - if you speed you will get penalty points, if you persistently break speed limits you will loose your licence".

The Garda announced today it would be mounting another road safety campaign over the coming bank holiday weekend. "Operation Taisteal" will run from midnight tonight until midnight on Monday.

Victor

I 'like' the bit: 'The newly released figures found that 2,211 of the 17,886 penalty point notices issued so far were sent drivers with "no driving record".'

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/658554?view=Eircomnet

Penalty points help cut road deaths by a third
From:The Irish Independent
Friday, 2nd May, 2003
Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent

PENALTY points have helped cut road deaths by a third in the six months since they have been introduced, official figures revealed yesterday.

But a shocking 12pc of the 18,000 drivers hit with points so far had no driving licence, the Government statistics show. The newly released figures found that 2,211 of the 17,886 penalty point notices issued so far were sent drivers with "no driving record".

The number of road deaths for the period was 143 - a drop of 68, or 32pc fewer, on the same period last year. This represents a saving of €88m, as the cost of each fatal accident has been put at €1.3m, to include all health and social costs.

Meanwhile, an extra 2,000 drivers - there are 1.9m on the roads - are to be added this week to the points list.

A points record is held on the national driver file so that when unlicensed drivers apply for licences these points will be recorded.

However, some unlicensed drivers would be from the North and other jurisdictions.

A county-by-county breakdown of the 17,886 drivers who have notched up penalty points in the past six months shows that one driver has eight points already, 245 motorists have four points, eight have six and 17,361 are on two points.

There are four drivers with six penalty points from Cork, one in Limerick, one in Monaghan and two in Dublin.

Dublin tops the league table with 4,867 drivers with points, followed by Cork 1,930; Kildare 738; Wexford 595; Galway 590; Meath 555 and Wicklow 517. Leitrim had the lowest, with 87.

The figures for each county refer to the licence addresses only - so that some of the offences would have been committed elsewhere.

Despite the success of the penalty points system, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan warned that there is a danger that "we can slip back into old ways" unless the Garda, Government, insurance companies and motorists remain committed to implementing the system.

He urged gardai to continue to make enforcement of speeding a priority.

The minister then disclosed: "Early indications are that the introduction and enforcement of penalty points is bringing about a significant change in driver behaviour.

"The message to those drivers who speed is stark and simple. If you speed you will get penalty points, and if you persistently break speed limits you will lose your licence."

Mr Brennan confirmed that he will be introducing penalty points for driving without insurance from June 1 next - and for the non-wearing of seatbelts from July 1.

Young male drivers are being targeted in a May bank holiday weekend Garda surveillance of the type which caught over 8,000 motorists for speeding, dangerous and drink driving and not wearing seatbelts over Easter.

Speeding and drink driving will be special targets for the thousands of gardai taking part in the clampdown which got under way at midnight last night and will continue until midnight on Monday.

Operation Taisteal over the Easter weekend caught 6,230 motorists for speeding, 1,740 drivers and passengers for not wearing seatbelts, 350 for

dangerous and careless driving and 287 for drink driving.

Insp Ray McHugh of the Garda press office said last night that this weekend's Operation Taisteal will be specifically aimed at speed, drink driving and failure to wear seatbelts.

The driving behaviour of young males will also be targeted.

Anybody who witnesses suspected drunken driving has been advised to immediately report this to gardai.

Garda enforcement activities will be visible on all the road networks in the country, with particular emphasis on crash-prone locations.

The main aim is to ensure a death-free holiday weekend - unlike last year, when three people were killed.

And gardai warn that checkpoints will be mounted to try and stop a repeat of the 2002 May holiday carnage, when injuries alone totalled 119.

During the five bank holidays last year 36 people lost their lives on the roads, three over the May holiday.

The campaign comes as new figures show that a shocking 77pc of children killed in car crashes were not wearing seatbelts. Seven out of 10 children killed in the front passenger seat, and eight out of 10 in the rear seats, were not wearing seatbelts.

Stephen

Young male drivers are being targeted

SHOCK

HORROR

Victor

Originally posted by Victor
I 'like' the bit: 'The newly released figures found that 2,211 of the 17,886 penalty point notices issued so far were sent drivers with "no driving record".'

Apparently this 2,211 may include learner drivers.

STaN

If you notice on the back of the fine sheet, it notes that if you pay a fixed fine fee; a penalty of 2 points will be endorsed on your licence.

I was done for 62 in a 50 zone and after paying the fine the next week by a cheerless bangarda on caple street i recieved a state letter stating that the 2 points had been endorsed 3 months later and giving the total number of points now on the licence. So their a bit slow getting the word out as their backlogged to hell. But they'll eventually get to you.

Victor

Originally posted by STaN
bangarda

The title "bangarda" no longer exists.

STaN

Just garda now?

Victor

Originally posted by STaN
Just garda now?

Yes, us being in the era when we no loger have manageresses, women win awards for male lead and women have jobs like President, judge, construction worker ....

azi

Originally posted by Stephen
I thought if you had a full licence from any EU member state you could use it here for as long as you like?

For as long as it's valid then t
you have to swap it for an Irish one.

Which is ok, b/c mine's valid for life :-P

Imposter

Originally posted by azi
For as long as it's valid then t
you have to swap it for an Irish one.

Which is ok, b/c mine's valid for life :-P

Wahoooo... Me too! Photo might look a bit strange after a while though! I've seen some here (Austria) with bright red hair. I suppose it'll be a funny story for their grankids!:D

As for the Guards targeting young male drivers: How does that work exactly?

Do they see some speeding, stop them, decide he's over 25/30/whatever so he's ok, or he's a she and therefore ok, or what?

Surely they're not stopping young male drivers just to give them a lecture or are they? (Not that i'd be overly surprised if they did)

And I know this is a little off-topic but what about those bad drivers out there that are not young AND male? Anything being done about that?