FG want penalty points for illegal parking in disability spaces

Dannyboy83

http://www.finegael.org/news/a/1553/article
Fine Gael Disability Spokesman David Stanton TD has called for the introduction of penalty points for drivers who illegally park in bays reserved for people with disabilities. Under the current system, illegal parking in these spaces carries a fixed charge fine of €80 but no penalty points.

“Reserved parking spaces are regularly being used illegally by able-bodied drivers. The current penalty for illegal parking in spaces reserved for people with disabilities was introduced in April 2006. But when I questioned Transport Minister Noel Dempsey about increasing the fines and enforcement for this offence, he said he was satisfied with the fixed charge and had no plans to alter it.

“The focus to date has been on the illegal use of disabled parking permits. While I believe this is an extremely important matter, enforcement measures should also be increased for illegal parking in disabled bays. Drivers who use wheelchairs are particularly dependent on these spaces. Illegal parking, even for a short period, causes great inconvenience and even hardship.

“Drivers in general should be more aware and responsible. But imposing penalty points would deter persistent offenders. I will be raising this matter in Dáil Éireann again shortly.”

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Would you be in favour of the above proposal?
Personally, I would not, but then no members of my immediate family require use of disability bays. Nor do I ever park illegally in them.

Is illegal parking in these bays really such a frequent issue that it would warrant penalty points? Or perhaps its overkill?

Taxipete29

It is quite a big issue and I think its a great idea. Serves them right.

super_furry

Can't see why anyone would object to this, sounds like a great idea.

Mr. Presentable

And mark the spaces up like this

stevedublin

you mean those disability spaces that are permanently empty when all the other spaces are taken.

Mr. Presentable

So, would she get double points?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/401166637_0dd368db89_o.jpg

neil_purdy

nipplenuts wrote: »

So, would she get double points?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/401166637_0dd368db89_o.jpg

I like the way you assumed it was a SHE.. Correctly assumed i must add!!!

Yeah points for people who do this.. Points for everyone in the audience!

stevedublin

FG must be getting a lot of donations from car insurance companies!

Colm R

I would not be in favour of this to be honest.

They should concentrate points on the road safety side of things. Parking in a disabled spot is not really a road safety issue.

Now by all means, hike up the fines and punish the people who use these spaces when they should not. But keep the points to punish specific safety offences.

mike65

Sledghammer to crack a nut job tbh.

fifth

It's a sensitive issue, but I know families who regularly need these spaces due to their close proximity to services/shops..

I don't agree that people should be allowed use these spaces for any reason, even if they're just 'running in to the shop for a second'.

If anyone feels that they are unecessary or unjustified then they are simply out of touch and these people deserve penalty points!

ednwireland

seems reasonable to me

bmaxi

Personally I would favour confiscation of the car. Think of the revenue to the State of flogging off all those Beamers, Mercs and Range Rovers.

Fighting Irish

They should introduce penalty points for that a load of other stuff too. Follow the rules or gtfo.
50 penalty points for thinking its ok to park/stop on double yellow lines and flick on the auld hazard lights

Sleipnir

stevedublin wrote: »

you mean those disability spaces that are permanently empty when all the other spaces are taken.

but....they're empty because they're reserved? What's the point in having spaces reserved for the disabled if everyone can park in them?
And they're not permanently empty.

To answer the OP's question, yes, absolutely. You're not permitted to park there unless you have the blue card so if you don't have one, you should get points.
Don't have the blue card, then don't park there.

lucylu

I agree with this totally. I am sick of this attitude from lazy people thinking I will park there if I want to. Those spaces are there for a reason and rightly so.

Liam Byrne

I've no problem with this.

Whinging about the level of the punishment is irrelevant if you don't do it.

Whatever about the extent of the crime, it shows contempt for the rules of the road and the needs of other road users, so it's an indicator of an individual's mindset.

Biggins

I all for it too - with good reason.
I have a brother that is brain-damaged and suffers from epilepsy too.
When we or my parents try to take him out, at least 50% of the time of our nearest towns disabled parking spaces are taken up by non-disabled.

Fair is fair - come on! Your healthy and fit? Walk a bit more and do the decent thing as a responsible adult.
Leave the disabled spaces for the disabled for crying out loud!

Dannyboy83

Biggins wrote: »

, at least 50% of the time of our nearest towns disabled parking spaces are taken up by non-disabled.

In that case, the policy would seem justified.

I never see any of the disabled spaces here in Cork being used, which is why I thought it was overkill. Perhaps we just have better facilities here for the disabled than other areas of the country.

Vyse

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

In that case, the policy would seem justified.

I never see any of the disabled spaces here in Cork being used, which is why I thought it was overkill. Perhaps we just have better facilities here for the disabled than other areas of the country.

I saw two here in Cork today at lunch time. Always boils my blood.

Mr. Presentable

Biggins wrote: »

I all for it too - with good reason.
I have a brother that is brain-damaged and suffers from epilepsy too.
When we or my parents try to take him out, at least 50% of the time of our nearest towns disabled parking spaces are taken up by non-disabled.

Fair is fair - come on! Your healthy and fit? Walk a bit more and do the decent thing as a responsible adult.
Leave the disabled spaces for the disabled for crying out loud!

Park across the back of the f**kers so they can't get out.

Tipp Man

I got a fine for parking in a disabled spot in Ranelagh once. In my defence i had no idea it was a disabled spot (i.e was in a hurry so didn't see the sign on the road)

It's probably worth a point or 2 for using them, they are there for a reason

jhegarty

They should make the fine worthwhile (€500 minimum) , but not points. Points should be for safety issues only.

Cuddlesworth

What's the point in introducing a law that will get enforced once in a blue moon? How would this have any effect on private car parks in which the laws regarding public parking have no effect. I don't think any of these politicians have actually thought any of this out?

yoshytoshy

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

What's the point in introducing a law that will get enforced once in a blue moon? How would this have any effect on private car parks in which the laws regarding public parking have no effect. I don't think any of these politicians have actually thought any of this out?

It could be easily introduced by using camera evidence ,then send along the points in the post.
Once a photo is sent on to whatever office ,that should be proof enough.

I've personally never notice a problem in dublin ,but it's probably harder to get around some rural parts of ireland.

NewDubliner

Colm R wrote: »

They should concentrate points on the road safety side of things. Parking in a disabled spot is not really a road safety issue.

Have you ever tried to transfer from car to wheelchair?

You have no idea what its like.

Disabled drivers or their passengers need extra wide, specially provisioned spaces so that their wheelchairs are not out on the road, exposed to traffic.

bmaxi

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

What's the point in introducing a law that will get enforced once in a blue moon? How would this have any effect on private car parks in which the laws regarding public parking have no effect. I don't think any of these politicians have actually thought any of this out?

The private supermarket carparks seem to have no problem clamping cars that overstay their time by a few minutes but has anyone seen a car clamped for parking in a disabled spot without a pass?
Having said that, I've lost count of the times I've seen cars pull up with a pass on the windscreen and the occupants trip merrily into the store.

kayakboy

More populist guff - if it's not one crowd it's the other. Penalty points are supposed to target dangerous motoring offences speeding, dangerous driving etc; While parking in a disabled parking spot might be classed as rude, ignorant, immoral and socially unacceptable it is not dangerous and hence should only be punished by fines - hefty ones at that.
here's another classic - this one a bit closer to home.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelle-o/3521736531/

NewDubliner

kayakboy wrote: »

Penalty points are supposed to target dangerous motoring offences speeding, dangerous driving etc;

No they're not. Dangerous driving is a separate and more serious offence dealt with only in the courts. You can go to prison for it.

Penalty points apply for routine speeding, seatbelt offences, motor insurance and careless driving, mobile phone use, ignoring Garda signals, ignoring road signs, not stopping on amber, poor lane use, driving on footpaths, cycle tracks, not yielding, failing to show consideration.

Liam Byrne

kayakboy wrote: »

While parking in a disabled parking spot might be classed as rude, ignorant, immoral and socially unacceptable it is not dangerous and hence should only be punished by fines - hefty ones at that.

As stated already, parking in disabled spots DOES cause danger, because the disabled driver has to disembark to their wheelchair at the side of the street.

So parking there indirectly endangers their life; you mightn't even be around when they get splattered, since they had to park a mile away, but it would be 100% your fault.

oeb

The whole penalty points system exists as a way to discourage people from dangerous driving. It serves as a means to get them off our roads, or at least warn them that that is where they are headed. Is an able bodied person who parks in a disabled space an arsehole? Almost certainly. Does parking in a disabled space put other road users at risk? Not except in the most extreme of circumstances.

Keep the penalty points for what they are intended, up the fixed fine, but just because someone parks like a jackass does not mean they should be put off the road (Or at least put on that path), it should not mean that their insurance is higher either (Which of course is a side effect of penalty points).