Roll-out of penalty points on August bank holiday Weekend 2012
Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has today (Thursday) announced changes to the penalty point system that will see points being introduced or increased for 6 seatbelt offences and 1 offence in relation to vehicle weights from this bank holiday weekend.
Statistics released by the RSA earlier this month have shown that in the first six months of this year, 23% of drivers killed and 29% of passengers killed were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision. A particularly worrying feature is the number of people who were not wearing a seatbelt and who were ejected from the vehicle.
Minister Varadkar said: “We have made significant strides in recent years to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. However, the Gardaí still report that a large number of people do not wear their seatbelt or allow other passengers to travel unrestrained.
The Minister continued: “Shocking as it may sound there are still motorists who permit children under 3 to travel without being properly restrained. Failing to wear a seatbelt or allowing a passenger to travel unrestrained is a breach of the law and you risk a fine and penalty points on your licence which will remain in place for 3 years.”
Assistant Commissioner Gerard Phillips said : "An Garda Síochána welcomes the changes to the penalty point system, and since their introduction in 2002 many lives have been saved as a result.
In particular, the use of a seatbelt in the front and especially the rear of a vehicle is the most basic form of Road Safety. It is the simplest and most effective way to protect all occupants in any vehicle. We also wish to remind all road users to take extra care on the roads this August Bank Holiday weekend. July and August are known to be high risk periods on our roads.
Last year two people were tragically killed and six people were seriously injured over the August Bank Holiday period. Large numbers of drivers will be travelling to sometimes unfamiliar places around the country, so we are appealing to all drivers to slow down, take their time, be well rested, wear their seatbelt at all times and never, ever drink and drive. Finally, as with all existing penalty point offences, we wish to remind the public that they have nothing to fear from penalty points once they are compliant with our road traffic laws. Ultimately they are designed to save lives and prevent injuries and at the end of the day this is our number one goal"
Minister Varadkar concluded: “I would like to take this opportunity to remind all road users, motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, to take care on our roads this bank holiday weekend.”
Photograph taken at a traffic checkpoint on Ardee Road, Dundalk 3rd August 2012
|
OFFENCES INCURRING PENALTY POINTS |
Penalty points on payment |
Penalty points on conviction |
Fixed Charge € |
|
Amount paid in
28 days |
Amount
paid in next 28 days |
|
|
Driver of car or goods vehicle not wearing safety belt |
2 |
4 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Driver permitting person under 17 years of age to occupy a seat when not wearing safety belt |
2 |
4 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Driver of car or goods vehicle permitting child under 3 years of age to travel in it without being restrained by appropriate child restraint |
2 |
4 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Driver of car or goods vehicle permitting child over 3 years of age to travel in it without being restrained by appropriate child restraint |
2 |
4 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Driver of car or goods vehicle permitting child to be restrained by rearward facing child restraint fitted to a seat protected by active frontal air-bag |
2 |
4 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Driver of bus not wearing safety belt |
2 |
4 |
60 |
90 |
|
|
Using vehicle – (a) whose weight un-laden exceeds maximum permitted weight, (b) whose weight laden exceeds maximum permitted weight, or (c)any part of which transmits to ground greater weight than maximum permitted weight |
1 |
3 |
200 |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The photograph on the right is of a checkpoint which was conducted in the Cork City Division earlier this morning, the 3/8/12