Caught making Illegal right turn - Penalty points?

Duckjob · 16-12-2007 9:43pm #1

Hey folks,

Coming out from the Square in Dublin this afternoon, I made an illegal right turn off the ring-road with the Statoil on it onto the little slip-road that leads out onto the Bypass. Two guards in-waiting there to nab people doing this.

Anyway, youngish looking garda, didn't say much. He asked for my licence, took my details down, then walked around the car, checked my tax and insurance.

He then handed my licence back to me, and said I'd be getting a fine. Wanting to know the score, I asked "is that a fine and points?" to which he just replied "a fine". He then gave me the usual mini-lecture about how there's lot of accidents there, and not to do it again, and sent me on my way.

The thing is, I thought if it was just a fine he would issue me with something on the spot, which he didn't, so now I'm wondering are there likely to be points involved as well.

Anyone had a similar experience and gotten just a fine ?

mikemac · 16-12-2007 9:45pm

I've had a quick look over here and can't see anything about making illegal turns
http://www.penaltypoints.ie

So looks like just a fine

Wishbone Ash · 16-12-2007 9:50pm

Duckjob wrote:

The thing is, I thought if it was just a fine he would issue me with something on the spot,

Isn't it all electronic now?

micmclo wrote: »

I've had a quick look over here and can't see anything about making illegal turns
http://www.penaltypoints.ie

So looks like just a fine

"Failure to comply with prohibitory traffic signs"?

MarkR · 16-12-2007 9:52pm

If he said no points you may be lucky. There are a couple of offences that match though..

Failure to comply with mandatory traffic signs
or
Failure to comply with traffic lane markings

Did he mention any of these to you?

miju · 16-12-2007 9:58pm

my missus took an illegal right turn about a year back. garda told her would just be a fine but she got both a fine and 1 penalty point in the post

Wishbone Ash · 16-12-2007 9:59pm

MarkR wrote: »

There are a couple of offences that match though..

Failure to comply with mandatory traffic signs

Apologies for being pedantic but making an illegal right turn could not fall under the above. A mandatory sign indicates something that you must do - not something that is prohibited.

eg. KEEP LEFT, STOP, YIELD etc.

miju · 16-12-2007 10:07pm

also must not turn right

Duckjob · 16-12-2007 10:15pm

Thanks for the replies.

@MarkR: No, he asked me when he pulled me in if I knew why and I said "I'm guessing I've made a right turn I shouldnt have" .

He didn't mention any specific traffic laws to me, all he said was I would get "a fine". When I queried about points, he didn't say I wouldn't get points, just repeated "a fine".

I wanted to tell him he needed to work on his communication skills, but somehow I don't think it would have helped my case.;)

drdre · 16-12-2007 10:32pm

I did a illegal right turn in donnybrook before and the guard was there catching people.He told me i would get a summons to court, Never got anything and its been 2 years.He was actually a serious guard so i dont know why i didnt get any response from him.

Ah well i cant complain as i got away with it

big dar · 17-12-2007 10:58am

I made a turn from the quays onto parliment street in dublin city and got nabbed. I got 80 euro fine plus 1 point. So i think you will be getting the same im afraid

TheBigLebowski · 17-12-2007 11:45am

If I know the turn you're talking about, is it not just an illegal right turn, but means you have to go the wrong way along a short slip road on to the bypass? More than a bit dangerous if it is that turn and worthy of a few points...or maybe I'm mistaken...

Duckjob · 17-12-2007 12:05pm

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

If I know the turn you're talking about, is it not just an illegal right turn, but means you have to go the wrong way along a short slip road on to the bypass? More than a bit dangerous if it is that turn and worthy of a few points...or maybe I'm mistaken...

Nope, you're mistaken alright.

It is one-way but the direction is going out to merge onto the Tallaght bypass heading towards the city. Presumably you're allowed turn left onto the slip-road if approaching it from the other direction. Just after you come out, you come to the big junction where left brings you up the Belgard road.

I agree going the wrong way down a one-way deserves a couple of points.

drdre · 17-12-2007 12:14pm

Duckjob wrote: »

Nope, you're mistaken alright.

It is one-way but the direction is going out to merge onto the Tallaght bypass heading towards the city. Presumably you're allowed turn left onto the slip-road if approaching it from the other direction. Just after you come out, you come to the big junction where left brings you up the Belgard road.

I agree going the wrong way down a one-way deserves a couple of points.

I think it will be a fine and 1 point as others have mentioned.Best thing is just wait 1-2 weeks for the fine to arrive.Hope for the best

TheBigLebowski · 17-12-2007 3:12pm

Duckjob wrote: »

Nope, you're mistaken alright.

It is one-way but the direction is going out to merge onto the Tallaght bypass heading towards the city. Presumably you're allowed turn left onto the slip-road if approaching it from the other direction. Just after you come out, you come to the big junction where left brings you up the Belgard road.

I agree going the wrong way down a one-way deserves a couple of points.

Yeah that's what I thought after I wrote it and come to think of it, I made that illegal right turn loads of tmes when I lived there. Should be allowed to turn right there.

17-12-2007 3:12pm

drdre wrote: »

He told me i would get a summons to court

That's a bit extreme isn't it?

Oh and TheBigLebowski nice signature:D (no really I'm not being sarcastic)

neil.p.b · 11-01-2008 3:09pm

let me start from the begining, there's a short cut through an estate off a main road into dun laoghaire, but recently they put up a sign (a very small one) that prohibits turning left into it between 07.30 and 10.00, but one morning i took it only too find gaurds there waiting for people such as myself. He went through the regular procedures and stated id recieve a fine in the post but no points, was a little peeved as i thought, one it's the stupidist no left turn ive ever seen, and two i felt he could of let me off with a warning. So the next week i recieve the letter from the gaurds issuing my fine and no endorsement of points, grand, went and paid it. But yesteday i recieved a letter from the rsa saying a point had been point on my licence! After the gaurd and the letter with the fine said i hadnt got any! Is there any point in appealing it, i know its just a point but i just got 2 so i didnt really want anymore, and it just seems extremely unfair

ballooba · 11-01-2008 3:55pm

The reason for the above sign is to stop people rat racing through the estate as you have just admitted to doing. That in fact is a very good reason.

neil.p.b · 11-01-2008 4:54pm

It's not "rat racing", but your entitled to your opinion on the usefullness of the sign. What im asking is can i appeal the point atfer the gaurd and the letter said i wasnt getting any points.

ballooba · 11-01-2008 5:09pm

neil.p.b wrote: »

It's not "rat racing", but your entitled to your opinion on the usefullness of the sign. What im asking is can i appeal the point atfer the gaurd and the letter said i wasnt getting any points.

Possibly. I'm just pointing out the reason for the sign. They are quite common. Residents of a quiet housing estate don't want commuters using their street as a short cut and endangering their kids. Simple really.

L1011 · 11-01-2008 5:26pm

Was in my managers car with him once when he got pulled for doing an illegal left (having gone right due to seeing the guard, down to the next road to loop around and found it was also an illegal left, guard saw him..). He got let off with a warning but was told it was 2 points, but I've a feeling that as its nopt a specific offence its down to the discretion of the Garda in question wheter to apply the generic "failure to obey" one.

neil.p.b · 11-01-2008 7:40pm

But since that gaurd, and the letter from the gaurds said it was just a fine and no points, yet rsa just gave me them anyway, do ive any cause for appeal?

Duckjob · 13-01-2008 8:53pm

Hey folks, update from the OP here.

Well, got a letter today - €60 fine and 1 point.

Don't mind too much although I think the fine would've been enough of a slap on the wrist for something so minor.

Must say though, I find it quite irritating that the guard deliberately evaded giving me a straight answer at the roadside. I've heard of them doing this previously - I just think it's a bit spineless.

irishpartyboy · 13-01-2008 9:29pm

The Garda probably didn't know, I doubt they deliberately evaded the question. You broke the law, you got caught, you got punished... tis life. You probably won't make that illegal right again.

Duckjob wrote: »

Hey folks, update from the OP here.

Well, got a letter today - €60 fine and 1 point.

Don't mind too much although I think the fine would've been enough of a slap on the wrist for something so minor.

Must say though, I find it quite irritating that the guard deliberately evaded giving me a straight answer at the roadside. I've heard of them doing this previously - I just think it's a bit spineless.

Duckjob · 13-01-2008 10:23pm

irishpartyboy wrote: »

The Garda probably didn't know, I doubt they deliberately evaded the question.

At the roadside:
Him: You'll be getting a fine
Me: Is that a fine with points?
Him: A FINE!

Don't know how he couldnt know really, seeing as he writes it up...

You broke the law, you got caught, you got punished...

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You probably won't make that illegal right again.

True enough, and no doubt roads will be a safer place because of it.

Seth Brundle · 14-01-2008 2:17am

big dar wrote: »

I made a turn from the quays onto parliment street in dublin city and got nabbed. I got 80 euro fine plus 1 point. So i think you will be getting the same im afraid

Regardless of whether you are travelling along the South quays and take a left or coming down the N. quays and take a right, its not an illegal turn! What way did you go?

neil.p.b · 15-01-2008 12:30pm

But if the gaurd does state it's just a fine, and the letter from the gaurds states just a fine, but a month letter rsa send you a letter informing you that you have been given a point, woulnt you have grounds to appeal?

Seth Brundle · 15-01-2008 12:34pm

neil.p.b wrote: »

But if the gaurd does state it's just a fine, and the letter from the gaurds states just a fine, but a month letter rsa send you a letter informing you that you have been given a point, woulnt you have grounds to appeal?

On what basis and with what proof? I'm sure these technicalities would be raised during the appeal.

Caught making Illegal right turn - Penalty points?

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