Speeding Q&A superthread

Killinator · 08-09-2021 2:55pm

Have you recieved a summons after not paying the ticket or have you only just recieved the ticket.

Yes do go to court because if you don't one of two things will happen:

Youll be convicted in your absence or bench warrant will be issued for your arrest.

Not turning up to court isn't magically going to make the issue disappear and it certainly won't endear any judge to you.

There is no requirement in law that you must have been INTENTIONALLY speeding.

If what you say is true and you have dash cam footage then you may go to court, plead not guilty and put forward your case (which will likely be adjourned to another day).

You were speeding, full stop. But you should go to court to state your case as to why you didn't think you were speeding.

Bare in mind you'll get 5 points instead of 3 and an increased fine should you go to court (or not bother) and fail.

For your assistance this is the part of the legislation you will be prosecuted under:

Road Traffic Act 1967 (section 47)

Offence of exceeding speed limit.

47.—(1) A person shall not drive a mechanically propelled vehicle at a speed exceeding a speed limit applying in relation to the vehicle.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) In this section “speed limit” means a limit which is—

(a) an ordinary speed limit,

(b) the built-up area speed limit, or

(c) a special speed limit.

micah537 · 08-09-2021 3:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117863753#Comment_117863753

There was a Transit box body/luton pulled in on the other side of the road so I don't know if there was a sign there or not, the dash cam doesn't show it either.

I have an appointment next Monday with a solicitor, I just wondering if I'm wasting time and money because double the points will probably be a killer on my current car's insurance. The solicitor and I would be located close to the area, but it is a road I never need to use.

impr0v · 08-09-2021 5:41pm

Personally I would contest it.

FishOnABike · 08-09-2021 5:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117863862#Comment_117863862

If your dashcam footage shows no speed limit sign was visible by not being there and/or being obstructed I'd definitely talk to a solicitor to get advice whether it would be reasonable / worthwhile to contest the speeding summons.

scamalert · 12-09-2021 5:47pm

was out in town the other night and stumbled upon gosafe van in 50km zone back facing me incoming, can only guess that did 52-58km/h before letting has off and droping under 50, as micra 08 speedo doesnt have any markings between 50 to 60 so can only sort of speculate if it was few kms or more like 6-8. Now usual stupid guessing if it get the ticket or what ifs for two weeks. guess the question is can someone be done for something ridicilous as 4km over the limit

callaway92 · 16-09-2021 12:03am

4 kmh over the limit in a 50 zone is 8% over the speed limit. Doesn’t sound great to be honest when you put it like that.

4kmh over the limit on the motorway obviously doesn’t sound as bad then.

Without meaning to be a dickhead, it is likely a 50 zone for good reason.

Parachutes · 08-10-2021 9:05am

Are there any fixed speed cameras in Ireland?

FishOnABike · 08-10-2021 9:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117991599#Comment_117991599

Dublin port tunnel has average speed cameras.

There are plans to roll out more on the motorway network.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/speeding-drivers-who-slow-for-cameras-to-be-caught-by-new-system-1.4505679

This article from 2005 refers to there being twenty units (fixed but not average) in Louth, Meath, Kildare and Dublin.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/speed-cameras-vandalised-1.417680?mode=amp

Parachutes · 08-10-2021 10:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117991786#Comment_117991786

Yes, I was aware of the Port Tunnel and the new average speed check in Tipp but someone told me before that we had Gatso type cameras on some of our national roads, not sure how true that is though.

reubenreuben · 08-10-2021 11:26am

My partner was doing 160km/h on a dual carriageway 120 zone.

Passed speed van. Is that normal 3 points and 80 fine?

FishOnABike · 08-10-2021 11:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117991830#Comment_117991830

According to the linked article in my (edited) post above only three of the twenty fixed cameras situated in Louth, Meath, Kildare and Dublin are active at any one time.

Killinator · 08-10-2021 1:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117992207#Comment_117992207

Yes.

The GoSafe can only issue standard speeding fines.

In cases where the vehicle is considered dangerous driving then the operator of the van sometimes chooses to contact the local station to try and intercept the vehicle.

GM228 · 08-10-2021 2:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117992275#Comment_117992275

Asides from the average speed cameras on the M7 and M50 there are only two fixed cameras left in the state, all others have been long removed, the two remaining are actually red light (rather than speed) cameras and both are currently not in operation.

Killinator · 08-10-2021 4:11pm

What I don't understand about the proposed average speed cameras on the motorway is that as it stands you have to be told the specific location where you were speeding, generally down the the townsland.

So when a Garda stops you or a GoSafe they will have the exact location you were caught and that will be entered on the ticket/summons.

Not sure how that will work in an area like the current test one on M7 between Nenagh and Birdhill which would go through dozens of townslands. Unless there's a change to the procedures how can it be pointed out where exactly you were speeding.

FishOnABike · 08-10-2021 7:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117993894#Comment_117993894

The cameras cover the stretch of the M7 between J26 and J27. The average speed can only be calculated when the vehicle is detected at the second of the two average speed cameras.

I would think a speeding offence would therefore be detected at the location of the second of the average speed cameras ( J27 if travelling south or J26 if travelling north). Whatever townsland that camera is in would be where the offence occured.

Killinator · 08-10-2021 8:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117994659#Comment_117994659

But therein lies the problem at the moment. You could be doing 100km/h passing the 2nd camera and then get a ticket saying you were speeding at that location. It would be factually incorrect so as things stand would be on shaky legal ground from the current way tickets/summons are handed out.

Parachutes · 08-10-2021 8:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117994953#Comment_117994953

How do they work it in the Port Tunnel?

Killinator · 08-10-2021 8:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117994979#Comment_117994979

I've no idea, I've never seen one in relation to it. I assume they can say you were speeding in the port tunnel, a specific location.

FishOnABike · 08-10-2021 10:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995046#Comment_117995046

Considering one end is in Santry and the other in Fairview it is exactly the same situation.

It's either where the offence is detected or between two identified locations.

Killinator · 09-10-2021 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995421#Comment_117995421

Fair enough, I've never used the port tunnel l before so no idea how it works.

impr0v · 09-10-2021 10:35pm

As I understand it, the reason a speeding ticket specifies an exact location is that one of the ingredients of the offence of speeding is that it is in a public place, and the ticket informs you of the public place in which the prosecuting Garda will allege the offence was perpetrated by you.

I don’t know whether a new offence has been created specifically for average-speed cameras, or whether a prosecution under the pre-existing legislation relies on it being, in practical terms, impossible for a driver to have travelled from camera A to camera B faster than the time it would take at the legal limit without having sped in a public place. Actually impossible in the case of the tunnel.

FishOnABike · 10-10-2021 9:59am

Since speed is distance/time all speed has to be measured over a distance and time. It's just that average speed cameras measure it over a larger distance and time than radar or lidar speed detectors do. If all points in between are a public place is it any different in principle whether the speed is measured over a centimeter or a few kilometers?

Mo2021 · 20-10-2021 8:49pm

I Got stopped for speeding about 7 weeks ago, the guard said the letter with fine & points would be out in 2 weeks but nothing yet, am I likely to receive it at this stage?

mikeecho · 21-10-2021 4:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118050346#Comment_118050346

You're probably away with it... But the Garda has 124 days to submit the ticket..

After 7 weeks. I think you've gotten away with it.

ewiz9 · 13-11-2021 6:47pm

how do I know, if I got a fine or point? do they send mail to some postal address? I have changed my residence and not residing at the address on my license. In this anyways to know if I have some points?