The Road Traffic Act 2002, as amended, legislates for the motor offences that result in penalty points. The Road Safety Authority maintains an up-to-date list of penalty point motoring offences.

Speeding offences:

• You will receive a fixed charge fine of €160, together with 3 penalty points, in the post.
• If you do not pay your fine, the fine increases to €240 which you must pay within 28 days.
• If after this time (56 days) you still have not paid your fine, the offence is referred to the courts.
• If you are convicted in court of speeding offences and non-payment of fines, you will automatically receive 5 penalty points and a fine up to a maximum of €1,000.

Seatbelt offences:

• If you drive without a seatbelt, or allow children under 17 years to travel in your car without a seatbelt, you will receive a fixed charge fine of €120.
• If you do not pay your fine within 28 days, you will face an increased fine of €180, payable within 56 days of the offence, and 3 penalty points will be added to your licence.
• If you do not pay your fine within the 56 days, the offence is referred to the courts. If you are convicted in court, you will automatically receive 5 penalty points and you will be liable to a €2,000 fine for a first offence.

Motor insurance offences:

• If you drive without insurance you will get 5 penalty points and will have to appear in court.
• The court can issue a fine of up to €5,000, and can send you to prison for up to 6 months. The court can disqualify you from driving instead of issuing penalty points.

Careless driving:

• If you drive ‘a vehicle in a public place without due care and attention’ you can receive up to 5 penalty points on your licence and a fine of up to €5,000.
• If the careless driving causes death or serious bodily harm, you are liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term of up to 2 years or to a fine of up to €10,000 or to both.

If you have receive a summons for a road traffic offence, contact us today for a consultation.