Amendments to penalty point structure - what changes would you make?

Woodville56

tippman1 wrote: »

driving while wearing earphones - 2 penalty points.

Cycling while wearing earphones is worse - don't suppose you can impose penalty points/ fine for that ?

K.Flyer

tippman1 wrote: »

driving while wearing earphones - 2 penalty points.

Funny enough, some don't need earphones.
A woman drove her car into mine as she wasn't looking.where she was going. I had my hand planted on the horn trying to warn her and I couldn't move due to other cars, then crunch.
I asked her, how come she didn't hear me blowing the car horn..
Sorry she said, I couldn't hear anything I had the music in the car turned up too loud.

Loud music in cars 5 points :pac:

Woodville56

Woodville56 wrote: »

I'd agree with the above with the exception of drink driving - I rarely ever agree with Minister Shane Ross but I'm with him on the 0% alcohol when driving proposal . The stats are there - drinking & driving causes accidents / fatalities

0% is impractical you will have people failing for mount wash or a bit of sherry trifle. It's also totally unfair on people who need to drive to work the next morning.

The limit should have been left as it was most people could have around 2 pints and drive home, or maybe a few more if they spread it out over a few hours. It's the people driving hammered that are the danger on the roads not the auld fella that has a pint or two in the local. Having a 0% limit won't stop the people who drive hammered so it's a waste of time really and as I said impracticle.

tippman1 wrote: »

driving while wearing earphones - 2 penalty points.

Ban the radio too I suppose?

iamtony

iamtony wrote: »

Exactly my point! If it was a no tolerance approach everyone would be obeying the limit and you wouldn't feel forced to speed up to the next red traffic light for no reason except the feeling you are progressing faster.

Why not just pull aside into the hard shoulder and allow faster moving traffic to go on their way. You don't gain anything from holding the road to slow people down. I'm always very appreciative of people who pull aside to let me overtake and consider them good drivers aware of their surroundings.

Red Kev

I'd be happy if existing laws were actually enforced properly and with consistency.

iamtony wrote: »

It drops to sixty probably because theres a school nearby or something.

Once in Ireland have I seen a speed camera near a school and that was after a child was badly hurt the week before, with the local rag having a 4 page centre spread on the incident and road safety. In the same town I regularly see a speed trap on the way out of town on a wide N road, which still has a 60 km/h limit. There are no houses on this stretch of road BTW.

Destiny Witty Voice wrote: »

It's a pity alright, understanding the physics of speed and breaking would be very helpful to those making the rules.

Yes. Physics determines that when you hit it at speed without braking, a thing tends to "break".

Eric Cartman

Driving across chevrons / white line at the last second near a junction - 6 points automatic , 10 if any accident occurs.

Indicating one way and going the other way - 3 points

Applying makeup or shaving while driving - 6 points, 12 if an accident occurs.

Slamming your door into another car - 2 points and an automatic 250 euro payout to the victim.

Swinging left to turn right where there is another lane to the left of you - 3 points , 6 if an accident occurs

Going more than 5km/h below the speed limit on the right hand lane of a dual carraigeway / motorway where no traffic or obstruction is present - 3 points.

freshpopcorn

Zaph wrote: »

Using a mobile phone when the vehicle is in motion (the actual phone to the ear or texting, as opposed to hands-free) will, in addition to the current points and fine, result in the phone being confiscated by the Gardaí for two weeks. Get caught a second time and the phone goes under a road roller. Actually for texting the roller gets used for the first offence, fcuking idiotic thing to be doing while you're driving.

Couldn't you just keep a spare phone in the car to hand to the Garda?

Topper Harley

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Slamming your door into another car - 2 points and an automatic 250 euro payout to the victim.

I like that idea. I'd be rich.

Zaph

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Couldn't you just keep a spare phone in the car to hand to the Garda?

Dammit, you're a criminal mastermind! Maybe there could be some way of having the number blocked for those couple of weeks as well.

mrsoundie

Topper Harley wrote: »

This doesn't go far enough. This has always been a bugbear of mine but recently it has been frustrating me more and more. Years ago I suggested on here that the RSA make and ad to explain lane usage to people. Then the RSA made a very good ad. And nothing changed. People just don't care... So here's my drastic proposal:

Everyone's licence should be suspended and people's driving privilages will only be restored once they have proved they understand and will abide by correct lane usage. (I'm thinking a theory test will suffice to ensure a giant backlog doesn't develop).

Once you're back on the road, there will be mobile patrols, in tanks, who when observing anyone in an incorrect lane will immediately and permanently remove them from the road.

I would like to see that anyone who racks up the twelve points and gets disqualified, would have to start over again. That is the theory test to the driving text to display that they are qualified again.

As for fines, the proportional system where they take a % of your monthly income would be fairer.

freshpopcorn

Zaph wrote: »

Dammit, you're a criminal mastermind! Maybe there could be some way of having the number blocked for those couple of weeks as well.

Wouldn't they just block the number of the fake phone?

K.Flyer

Parking in a Disabled Parking Space, anywhere, 3 points and 200.00 euro fine.

dfeo

dfeo wrote: »

Imagine you have been asked by the Gardaí and RSA, you have been given a carte blanche to abolish or ammend one penalty point offence of your choice and to introduce a new one of your choice. What would you do?

I would amend the speeding one:
I wold introduce a rule whereby speeding only attracts penalty points for exceeding the speed limit by 10%+10km/h for N and M roads for all other roads, the motorist has to be 10 km/h over.

It's very easy to slip over the speed limits, especially on certain roads if you're focused on the road ahead of you rather than having your eyes on the speedometer all the time. Slipping a few 4 or 5 km/h over the limit happens to everyone, so don't pretend you never do it

I'd introduce a specific penalty point offence of not keeping left when not overtaking on a M or N road. This will be an on-the-spot 3 penalty point offence, or 6 if disputed in court.

What would you change / abolish or introduce and why?

Yeah, but you're suggesting it should be OK to exceed the limits by 22kmh. And your spedometer would show over by maybe 27kmh.

I won't change anything, but increase the enforcing of what there is.

GhostyMcGhost

Destiny Witty Voice wrote: »

Get rid of points and back to just fines.



It would be stupidly unfair. A bulb can blow at any time and you could come on a check point just after it happening.

Boo-hoo... I suppose the bald tyres had plenty of thread on them a few minutes ago too

There is absolutely no way with the amount of one eyed willy's going around that they all just happened 5 mins ago

There's simply no excuse that for €10 you can get it done for the vast majority of cars. If you have to take the bumper off, tough, you bought the car.
Cars simply have to be maintained. At the minute, they're evidently not and nothing is done about it

GhostyMcGhost

K.Flyer wrote: »

Parking in a Disabled Parking Space, anywhere, 3 points and 20000 euro fine.

FYP

GhostyMcGhost

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

Boo-hoo... I suppose the bald tyres had plenty of thread on them a few minutes ago too

There is absolutely no way with the amount of one eyed willy's going around that they all just happened 5 mins ago

There's simply no excuse that for €10 you can get it done for the vast majority of cars. If you have to take the bumper off, tough, you bought the car.
Cars simply have to be maintained. At the minute, they're evidently not and nothing is done about it

I never drive around constantly with a light missing but I've had bulbs go on me at night and not way to get a replacement until the next day or longer if a Saturday night etc. Also I have been driving when it happened so if I came across a check point it's hardly fair to get points.

iamtony

Hassan Broad Firearm wrote: »

iamtony wrote: »

Exactly my point! If it was a no tolerance approach everyone would be obeying the limit and you wouldn't feel forced to speed up to the next red traffic light for no reason except the feeling you are progressing faster.

Why not just pull aside into the hard shoulder and allow faster moving traffic to go on their way. You don't gain anything from holding the road to slow people down. I'm always very appreciative of people who pull aside to let me overtake and consider them good drivers aware of their surroundings.

ah your country folk by the sounds of it. In Dublin not many roads have the hard shoulders you speak of except duel carriage ways or motorways then pulling over isn't an option. But if I do happen to be in the sticks and get one of those nice wide roads where the cyclists and joggers use the hard shoulder I would pull in slightly to allow an overtake of an agressive driver trying to get past.
Its funny in this thread the people for speeding and aggressive driving all have Motorsport type users names like Hassan Broad Firearm funny thing is I used to be like you and also actually raced on a track in my day.
I remember driving up to the north from Dublin and I averaged 100 miles an hour for the motorway section of the trip but as you grow up and realise what's at stake you cop on and drive like you are supposed to and leave gaps between you and the car in front because I've seen people jam on and swerve dangerously and crash and hit cyclists and all sorts.

iamtony

Destiny Witty Voice wrote: »

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

Boo-hoo... I suppose the bald tyres had plenty of thread on them a few minutes ago too

There is absolutely no way with the amount of one eyed willy's going around that they all just happened 5 mins ago

There's simply no excuse that for €10 you can get it done for the vast majority of cars. If you have to take the bumper off, tough, you bought the car.
Cars simply have to be maintained. At the minute, they're evidently not and nothing is done about it

I never drive around constantly with a light missing but I've had bulbs go on me at night and not way to get a replacement until the next day or longer if a Saturday night etc. Also I have been driving when it happened so if I came across a check point it's hardly fair to get points.

I'd say you've drove around with a few bald tyres sure what's the harm sure they are probably better at stopping in dry weather cause they are like slicks right?

Isambard

SBPhoto wrote: »

Parking in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic, especially at night time when some leaves their lights on, have been nearly blinded a few times.

that's a good one. In my Town people park on the mini roundabout the wrong way round, and then wonder why it's so hard to pull out when they've done.

Like in the USA, you should have to park on your own side of the road only, I agree

iamtony

iamtony wrote: »

I'd say you've drove around with a few bald tyres sure what's the harm sure they are probably better at stopping in dry weather cause they are like slicks right?

Do tell me how you would propose to change a bulb on cars which require the front bumper removed to do so?

iamtony

Deleted User wrote: »

iamtony wrote: »

I'd say you've drove around with a few bald tyres sure what's the harm sure they are probably better at stopping in dry weather cause they are like slicks right?

Do tell me how you would propose to change a bulb on cars which require the front bumper removed to do so?

I wasn't talking about that. A blown bulb shouldn't warrant points in my opinion unless the same guard stops you twice and gives a warning or something. That post you quoted was supposed to be a joke aimed at Hassan Broad Firearm

CiniO

Deleted User wrote: »

Do tell me how you would propose to change a bulb on cars which require the front bumper removed to do so?

On cars like that, you should either remove the bumper on the spot, and change the bulb, or call roadside assistance to do it for you, or tow the car to the garage.

Driving with a blown bulb (especially if it's dipped headlight bulb) is unacceptable.

Johnboner

Make all road laws exactly the same as Deutschland.

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

On cars like that, you should either remove the bumper on the spot, and change the bulb, or call roadside assistance to do it for you, or tow the car to the garage.

Driving with a blown bulb (especially if it's dipped headlight bulb) is unacceptable.

Totally over the top imo. It's not ideal driving with one bulb but it's not bad enough to warrant calling a tow out service and severely impacting your evening and being witbout your car until the next day etc.

Topper Harley

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

Boo-hoo... I suppose the bald tyres had plenty of thread on them a few minutes ago too

There is absolutely no way with the amount of one eyed willy's going around that they all just happened 5 mins ago

There's simply no excuse that for €10 you can get it done for the vast majority of cars. If you have to take the bumper off, tough, you bought the car.
Cars simply have to be maintained. At the minute, they're evidently not and nothing is done about it

You can't compare a blown light bulb to a bald tyre. A tyre will go bald gradually and it's up to driver to keep an eye on them and replace them before they go beyond their limit. A bulb can go any time without warning. Having said that, people clearly don't check their cars often enough. In fact, modern cars have sensors to let you know when your light is gone so even with a bit of leeway, they should have them replaced within a couple of days.

Johnboner

CiniO wrote: »

On cars like that, you should either remove the bumper on the spot, and change the bulb, or call roadside assistance to do it for you, or tow the car to the garage.

Driving with a blown bulb (especially if it's dipped headlight bulb) is unacceptable.

Nice attempt at trolling

RayM

You should get points for failing to indicate when exiting a roundabout.
Also, inappropriate use of a car horn should result in points (i.e. blasting it at someone in anger after they've made a mistake), saying "goodbye" late at night, etc. It's noise pollution and makes the roads more obnoxious than they need to be.

Holding a mobile phone when driving shouldn't be a points offence at all. It should be treated the same as drink driving - arrest, court appearance, ban, fine, etc.

Johnboner

RayM wrote: »

You should get points for failing to indicate when exiting a roundabout.
Also, inappropriate use of a car horn should result in points (i.e. blasting it at someone in anger after they've made a mistake), saying "goodbye" late at night, etc. It's noise pollution and makes the roads more obnoxious than they need to be.

Holding a mobile phone when driving shouldn't be a points offence at all. It should be treated the same as drink driving - arrest, court appearance, ban, fine, etc.

You are way too lenient, for holding the phone in your hands mandatory public death penalty.

jca

Destiny Witty Voice wrote: »

Another very petty thing to complain about. It's often the only practical way to get a parking space.

It's not a bit petty, a schoolfriend of mine was killed as a direct result of someone parked like that with their lights on. If I ever find myself stopped like that I always switch to sidelights and turn on the hazards.

jca

tippman1 wrote: »

driving while wearing earphones - 2 penalty points.

Definitely, that and scrolling through the phone while driving are my two pet hates.

CiniO

Destiny Witty Voice wrote: »

Totally over the top imo. It's not ideal driving with one bulb but it's not bad enough to warrant calling a tow out service and severely impacting your evening and being witbout your car until the next day etc.

Johnboner wrote: »

Nice attempt at trolling

I wasn't trolling.
That's just my opinion.

Driving at night with blown dipped headlights bulb is very dangerous.

I don't think I've ever driven more than few km like that until I realised it's blown. Then I just stop and change the bulb on the side of the road.
Everyone should do the same, and if car design doesn't allow for doing that easily, that's a worry of a car owner.

Samuel T. Cogley

Leave it alone and do some enforcement.

Joking/pie in the sky aside.

Mobile use - confiscation (without return), 4 points €100 fine mandatory requirment for a specil phone/app that would turn radio off over 20Kph.
Speeding - graduated penalties with an easy payment method - a la France with associated love affair with speed cameras and in increase on the motorway to 160KPH, 120KPH at night/rain and 80KPH in fog.
On the spot fines for lights, both out and incorrect use, driver not allowed to continue until fault rectified.
€100 minimum on the spot fine for lane hogging and 3 points
Yellow box and red light cameras - automatic fines
Prison for driving disqual
Let learners drive unaccompanied under special condition - a la certain US states
No tax - car impounded until fully paid.
Drink driving - requirement for special device fitted to the ignition - plus current penalties
Increase to ten years max for careless driving

A complete and transparent, we're funding the traffic corp from your stupidity approach. Ideally privatise it.

Samuel T. Cogley

Death for use of Hazard lights while parked. If you're a hazard when parked you shouldn't be parked there.

Samuel T. Cogley

Destiny Witty Voice wrote: »

Another very petty thing to complain about. It's often the only practical way to get a parking space.

Your driving skills need to improve. Alternatively if that's not possible, turn your lights off when you park - not doing do is complete an utter laziness and dangerous.

Johnboner

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Leave it alone and do some enforcement.

Joking/pie in the sky aside.

Mobile use - confiscation (without return), 4 points €100 fine mandatory requirment for a specil phone/app that would turn radio off over 20Kph.
Speeding - graduated penalties with an easy payment method - a la France with associated love affair with speed cameras and in increase on the motorway to 160KPH, 120KPH at night/rain and 80KPH in fog.
On the spot fines for lights, both out and incorrect use, driver not allowed to continue until fault rectified.
€100 minimum on the spot fine for lane hogging and 3 points
Yellow box and red light cameras - automatic fines
Prison for driving disqual
Let learners drive unaccompanied under special condition - a la certain US states
No tax - car impounded until fully paid.
Drink driving - requirement for special device fitted to the ignition - plus current penalties
Increase to ten years max for careless driving

A complete and transparent, we're funding the traffic corp from your stupidity approach. Ideally privatise it.

So who will be confiscating the phones from the Garda that use them while driving???
And no tax car impounded seriously??? For what??? Oh yes need to spend all that MOTOR tax money on them water charges consultations give me a break! I can't believe there are people that exist with this kind of logic.

Samuel T. Cogley

Johnboner wrote: »

So who will be confiscating the phones from the Garda that use them while driving???

Guards are exempt from most if not all road traffic laws IIRC.

Johnboner wrote: »

And no tax car impounded seriously??? For what??? Oh yes need to spend all that MOTOR tax money on them water charges consultations give me a break! I can't believe there are people that exist with this kind of logic.

You can't believe that people exist who think that there should be effective penalties for tax evasion? If you can't afford to tax the car by a Micra. If you can't afford that buy a push bike.

Also to add to the above, 5 points a €150 euro fine and 7 days in prison for the overuse of question marks.

Johnboner

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Guards are exempt from most if not all road traffic laws IIRC.



You can't believe that people exist who think that there should be effective penalties for tax evasion? If you can't afford to tax the car by a Micra. If you can't afford that buy a push bike.

Also to add to the above, 5 points a €150 euro fine and 7 days in prison for the overuse of question marks.

Sir, please step inside to the gas chamber.

I am paying tax for my car and my bike which is 1000 and 88.

Oh sorry I didn't know that Gardai were superhuman and above the regular person which makes them able to use the phone while driving while us mere mortals are not, I apologize.

I bet you are one of those drivers that drives at 80 on the motorway and tries to stop motorbikes from filtering to the front at the traffic lights.

Samuel T. Cogley

Johnboner wrote: »

Sir, please step inside to the gas chamber.

I am paying tax for my car and my bike which is 1000 and 88.

Oh sorry I didn't know that Gardai were superhuman and above the regular person which makes them able to use the phone while driving while us mere mortals are not, I apologize.

I bet you are one of those drivers that drives at 80 on the motorway and tries to stop motorbikes from filtering to the front at the traffic lights.

As I say only for parking offences.

Nope I'm one of the very few Irish drivers who make an effort to facilitate filtering, it seems quite odd to try and prevent it, a vehicle of any description out of my way is better for me.

And on the speed thing, I plead the fifth. Although you can check out my other posts if you want to know what my attitude to speed is.

Johnboner

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

As I say only for parking offences.

Nope I'm one of the very few Irish drivers who make an effort to facilitate filtering, it seems quite odd to try and prevent it, a vehicle of any description out of my way is better for me.

And on the speed thing, I plead the fifth. Although you can check out my other posts if you want to know what my attitude to speed is.

What about animals? Surely they should be executed as well for running on the road and causing accidents? At night they are a serious hazard on the road, do you support executing animals as well?

Samuel T. Cogley

John, I'll leave it there. Enjoy your evening and remember it's easy to be over the limit 'the morning after'.

Marcusm

CiniO wrote: »

On cars like that, you should either remove the bumper on the spot, and change the bulb, or call roadside assistance to do it for you, or tow the car to the garage.

Driving with a blown bulb (especially if it's dipped headlight bulb) is unacceptable.

I saw the perfect Irish car the other day; both headlights and foglights illuminated but only one working on each side.

kbell

6 points mandatory for owning and driving an Audi.
Easily the worst drivers on our roads.

the_pen_turner

6 points for not cleaning frost off windscreen and only creating a little hole to see out. Same for snow on the roof

the_pen_turner

No headlight . Warning and report to guards at next working day to show you fixed it
Fail to fix it straight away. 6 points.

No dim . Warning. Fix on the spot or get someone to come and fix . Or guards escort to nearest garage to get bulb.

red ears

Indicators indicators indicators

the_pen_turner

3 points for wipers that won't clean the windscreen.

TheQuietFella

RayM wrote: »

You should get points for failing to indicate when exiting a roundabout.
Also, inappropriate use of a car horn should result in points (i.e. blasting it at someone in anger after they've made a mistake), saying "goodbye" late at night, etc. It's noise pollution and makes the roads more obnoxious than they need to be.

Holding a mobile phone when driving shouldn't be a points offence at all. It should be treated the same as drink driving - arrest, court appearance, ban, fine, etc.

I think the courts time is needed for more serious issues!

Maybe if the GS confiscated mobile phones from offenders it might start having an affect?

Johnboner

TheQuietFella wrote: »

I think the courts time is needed for more serious issues!

Maybe if the GS confiscated mobile phones from offenders it might start having an affect?

What if the person whose phone was confiscated has a heart attack or a stroke then what???? Will not be able to call help because their phone was confiscated, are you saying that it's their fault and they should die? Believe me I have seen my fair share of mobile users as I ride a bike and I am directly affected by this but this is no solution.

chicorytip

Ban wide-bore exhaust systems.

Make it illegal to park with two wheels on the pavement.

SBPhoto

kbell wrote: »

6 points mandatory for owning and driving an Audi.
Easily the worst drivers on our roads.

What a stupid and uninformed statement.