Do penalty points work?

Ray Palmer

I say the work as people who get them suddenly behave for a while.
I doubt it actually generates money enough for the cost of the system. I know in the UK it doesn't make money and they have a better economy of scale.
It is really simple people who speed and caught on main roads will do so elsewhere. Just easier to catch at certain points. People speed all the time. It amazes me the way people speed in housing estates in the morning where there is a lot of obstacles and unknowns

cocoshovel

davet82 wrote: »

I think its really hard to keep the speed limit, i tried after i got the points but all i got was abuse, beeps, flashing lights and being overtaken by other drivers and even pulled in by the guards who thought i may have been drunk/or something wrong as he put it cause i was going so slow??

Jesus what crappy part of the country do you live in where everyone is so angry all the time? Ive never seen or heard this happen and I usually stick to the speed limit. Secondly, why would you let that bother you. Thats their own problem if they want to throw a tantrum at you for doing that speed. Heck, Id slow down even more if someone did that to me followed by a swift nonchalant middle finger tossed behind my back.

Unless of course, you're going ridiculously slower than the limit

seamus

Shenshen wrote: »

I have to ask, have you ever been to Cork or Kerry?
Or are you assuming that Dublin = all of Ireland?

Actually of all places, the M50 is probably the one road where traffic volumes make anything above 120km/h a bit unrealistic.

Massive sections of the M7, 8 & 9 can easily handle traffic at upwards of 140km/h.

Shenshen

seamus wrote: »

Actually of all places, the M50 is probably the one road where traffic volumes make anything above 120km/h a bit unrealistic.

Massive sections of the M7, 8 & 9 can easily handle traffic at upwards of 140km/h.

So are we talking about motorways, or general roads?

Tolled motorways I would agree with you, nobody uses them so speed limits are a little redundant.
Regular roads however are a different kettle of fish... most of them tend to be windy, hedges on either side limiting visibility, and only some of them will be wide enough to easily accomodate two cars passing each other safely at any speed.
Add to that agricultual traffic, cyclists and pedestrians, and I would be very worried indeed going down any of them at 100 km/h.

ScumLord

Shenshen wrote: »

I have to ask, have you ever been to Cork or Kerry?
Or are you assuming that Dublin = all of Ireland?

I'm from the west of Ireland, I've been all over this country and I stand by what I said. There's plenty of people who have no clue how wide or long their car is and stop dead on roads even though they have a couple of feet either side of them, there's people who break for the slightest of corners or worse yet in the middle of a corner, if it wasn't for ABS more people would be in ditches because they have no understanding of how to break for a corner.

GavRedKing

I picked up 2 points a 2 years ago for answering my mobile while stuck in traffic, there was an unmarked Garda car that pulled up next to me at the lights, fined and penalty points.

I make sure I dont txt or answer calls now until I've reached my destination so lesson learned the hard way.

boredatwork82

When I reached 6 points, I decided to cop on and drive slowly, as I would not be able to afford any increase on my insurance. As a result I will drive carefully and obey all the rules of the road whilst I have my 6 penalty points.
When they are cleared I will probably drive recklessly until I get up to 6 again.
Some of the speed limits in this country are ridiculous.

davet82

:pac:

cocoshovel wrote: »

Jesus what crappy part of the country do you live in where everyone is so angry all the time? Ive never seen or heard this happen and I usually stick to the speed limit. Secondly, why would you let that bother you. Thats their own problem if they want to throw a tantrum at you for doing that speed. Heck, Id slow down even more if someone did that to me followed by a swift nonchalant middle finger tossed behind my back.

Unless of course, you're going ridiculously slower than the limit

Dublin is an angry place, what can i say...

trying to keep it under 5km of what the speed limit is

i'm not exagerating about the amount of people pissed off, it gets to you after awhile especially when you have some granny in a nissan micra over take you waving her fist out the window :pac:

DarkJager

gavredking wrote: »

I picked up 2 points a 2 years ago for answering my mobile while stuck in traffic, there was an unmarked Garda car that pulled up next to me at the lights, fined and penalty points.

I make sure I dont txt or answer calls now until I've reached my destination so lesson learned the hard way.

What a load of bollix. Fair enough about using a phone while the car is in motion, but getting fined for answering a call while stopped at lights? That's bull****. Let's not even get in to those hypocrites using their own mobiles while driving, but I suppose those lights on the roof make them exempt from the law.

davet82

gavredking wrote: »

I picked up 2 points a 2 years ago for answering my mobile while stuck in traffic, there was an unmarked Garda car that pulled up next to me at the lights, fined and penalty points.

I make sure I dont txt or answer calls now until I've reached my destination so lesson learned the hard way.

harsh particularly if the handbrake was on and you were not in gear but i guess sometimes the points do work if you have learned a lesson... idk

cruiser178

My name is URL wrote: »

Think I might have been caught speeding myself the other day. I was doing about the same speed as yourself in a 50 zone. The van was parked outside of a Garda station though so I'm hoping they weren't actually operating the speed cameras at the time. I agree with you, it can be very hard to stick to the speed limit on some roads, especially when those behind you are speeding too.

Driving around Limerick a lot (for work at night time) you tend to take your eye off the speedo and just go with the flow of traffic, but when im coming up to all the hot spots that i know well i slow down to the exact speed limit and fcuk who is behind you who wants to speed, the way i look at it, over take if you want im not getting points just because some dick wants to speed up.

Carter P Fly

Speeed limits are random, inconsistant lines drawn in the sand which I pay no heed whatsoever to. Those gatso vans serve only to raise money and see if they can cause a pileup for perverse funnies.



Also, to those that say people tailgait and flash them if you find that this type of thing happens to you regularly its not everyone else who is a bad driver and is the problem, its you!!!

flutterflye

I generally obey the 50/60 limits because there's usually a good reason like pedestrians about or something.
Other than that, I'm usually going 20 over the limit at all times.
I slow down for corners or bends though of course.

I think I have points - I don't know.
I got a fine that I never paid anyway.
Same as the op - I think I was going 68 in a 60 zone at about 1am.
I was lost and had no idea where I was and there were no road signs anywhere that I could see anyway.
Meh.

Slow drivers drive me mad.

take everything

Yes.
Used to have a few but really reformed my driving since.
Actually happy i got them for that reason.

Odysseus

I don't believe they work, I ride fast depending on what bike I'm on and the road conditions etc I will go well over the 200km mark regularily enough. With saying that for a good bit of my commute I would stick to about 20-30km over the limit, at that speed I often have cars right up my arse. Often they will try bully me out of the way, the sure its only a bike mentality. As for the amount of people I see on phones or even reading papers/ doing their make up!!!!

Laura_lolly87

flutterflye wrote: »

I generally obey the 50/60 limits because there's usually a good reason like pedestrians about or something.
Other than that, I'm usually going 20 over the limit at all times.
I slow down for corners or bends though of course.

I think I have points - I don't know.
I got a fine that I never paid anyway.
Same as the op - I think I was going 68 in a 60 zone at about 1am.
I was lost and had no idea where I was and there were no road signs anywhere that I could see anyway.
Meh.

Slow drivers drive me mad.

You might want to pay that or you'll be called to court, happened my friend.

My name is URL

cruiser178 wrote: »

Driving around Limerick a lot (for work at night time) you tend to take your eye off the speedo and just go with the flow of traffic, but when im coming up to all the hot spots that i know well i slow down to the exact speed limit and fcuk who is behind you who wants to speed, the way i look at it, over take if you want im not getting points just because some dick wants to speed up.

The spot where the van was the other day is notorious for speeding. It's on a stretch of road where the limit changes instantly from 80 to 50, and many people don't slow down sufficiently before they enter the 50 zone. It would have been dangerous for me to drop down to 50 before hitting the speed trap with the lad behind me less than 20 feet away and still traveling at 70+

Tbh I'd rather risk a couple of penalty points than risk a collision. The way speed limits are set up on some roads is just ludicrous.