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Penalty Points!
Brought to you by ESB Safe Driving Bureau
Here are the things you've wanted to know about Penalty Points but didn't know who to ask! How many drivers have received points? As of the end of December 2005, over 291,800 drivers have had penalty points endorsed on their licences and 19 stood disqualified at that date.
What are the fixed charges 30 of the 35 penalty point offences will feature fixed charges of between €80 and €120. In the case of the remaining five offences, detection will lead directly to a court hearing.
How long do I have to pay a fixed charge? In the case of all fixed charges, a person has 28 days from the date of the fixed charge notice to pay. Anyone who pays in the subsequent 28 days pays that amount increased by 50%, meaning that it is only following expiry of that 56-day period that court proceedings will be initiated.
What about a disqualification from driving? There are three different types of disqualification from driving:
- Special: In the opinion of the Gardai and the court, you are unfit to drive a motor vehicle for medical reasons and/or reasons of mental stability;
- Consequential: You have been convicted as a result of a drink driving offence, no evidence of insurance, dangerous driving, a "hit and run" offence, etc.;
- Ancillary: You have been convicted as a result of repeated motoring offences.
Sources: Department of Transport http://www.oasis.gov.ie/transport/ & National Safety Council http://www.nsc.ie
Offences that will incur Penalty Points April 1st 2006
| Penalty Points on Payment | Penalty Points on Conviction | |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous overtaking | 2 | 5 |
| Failure to act in accordance with a Garda signal | 1 | 1 |
| Failure to stop a vehicle before stop sign/stop line | 2 | 4 |
| Failure to yield right of way at a yield sign/ 2 4 yield line | 2 | 4 |
| Crossing continuous white line | 2 | 4 |
| Entry by driver into hatched marked area of roadway, e.g. carriageway reduction lane | 1 | 3 |
| Failure to obey traffic lights | 2 | 5 |
| Failure obey traffic rules at railway level crossing | 2 | 5 |
| Driving a vehicle on a motorway against the flow of traffic | 2 | 4 |
| Driving on the hard shoulder on a motorway | 1 | 3 |
| Driving a HGV or bus on the outside lane on a motorway | 1 | 3 |
| Failure to drive on the left hand side of the road | 1 | 3 |
| Failure to obey requirements at junctions, e.g. not being in the correct lane when turning onto another road | 1 | 3 |
| Failure to obey requirements regarding reversing of vehicles, e.g. reversing from minor road onto main road | 1 | 3 |
| Driving on a footpath | 1 | 3 |
| Driving on a cycle track | 1 | 3 |
| Failure to turn left when entering a roundabout | 1 | 3 |
| Driving on a median strip, e.g. boundary between two carriageways | 1 | 3 |
| Failure to stop for school warden sign | 1 | 4 |
| Failure to stop when so required by a member of the Garda Siochana | 2 | 5 |
| Failure to leave appropriate distance between you and the vehicle in front | 2 | 4 |
| Failure to yield | 2 | 4 |
| Driving without reasonable consideration | 2 | 4 |
| Failure to comply with mandatory traffic signs at junctions | 1 | 3 |
