New Speeding Penalties

[CitizenKane]

Thoughts?

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/poli...inet-1.4094749

Even without the automatic dangerous driving charge that was previously proposed, this still seems pretty draconian. I'm all for cracking down on speeding in residential areas and near schools, etc., but applying the same rules to main roads and motorways just seems completely arbitrary.

Why can't people just not drive like idiots and apply common sense?

[dergside]

Thoughts?

.......Why can't people just not drive like idiots and apply common sense?

Therein lies the rub. A lot of people can't help themselves when it comes to being tools on the road. That's where the law comes in. In the same way that nothing focuses the mind like a deadline, nothing catches the attention like a fine or a sanction.

I actually don't have too much of a problem with this. Given that road quality has, by and large, improved in the country over the last couple of decades, M and N grade roads most notably (although many exceptions exist) then the excuse that speeding is required to make progress has diminished. We go to the tip top of Donegal frequently. With the motorway link along the western corridor and reasonably decent N roads, I can cover the 240 or so miles at an average speed of around 55mph without living in great fear of being affected by these laws. Those that are most likely to be affected would be similarly careless in wet/poor visibility/cold weather conditions too so, as far as I'm concerned, giving these drivers a stiff dose of medicine would be a good thing.

The most telling piece in the article is the reference to having your driving license on your person when driving. The fact that there is discretion means that a lot of people don't bother their hole to carry it, even though it has been a legal requirement for years. Its not a big burden. It might also help with the loop hole that a lot of people use to duck points or a license loser in court by not bringing their license when they challenge the fixed penalty notice.

[Big H]

Those that are most likely to be affected would be similarly careless in wet/poor visibility/cold weather conditions too

But the tools in my view are those who keep with the speed limit (just), but it is a totally inappropriate speed during heavy fog, rain, sow & ice.

The bigger issue are the endemic use of mobile phones (as a motorcycle commuter, it's not unusual for me to pull up beside a car at traffic lights, knock on the window and ask them to switch off Netflix that they're looing at in their lap), bald/woefully underinflated tyres, blown lightbulbs (or blown LCM's in many cases), even not using lights at all in appalling visibility, insane overtaking manouvers by those in underpowered cars, red light running by multiple cars, unrestrained children standing between the front seats etc.

None of these newly proposed measures will address any of the above - it's just more money grabbing from a lazy government piggybacking on the easiest to detect offence with minimal resources being used.

[dergside]

I agree that it’s not a catch-all piece of legislation but for what it’s aiming to do, it’s graduated penalties are pr ably a positive.

[Big H]

I agree that it’s not a catch-all piece of legislation but for what it’s aiming to do, it’s graduated penalties are pr ably a positive.

We'll agree to disagree. A blanket 30kph over the limit is nonsense when taken in/out of context.

At 6am an a dry sunny Sunday morning drive on an empty motorway, 150kph is not the same as 80kph (in a 50kph zone) outside a school at 9am on a school morning in the lashing rain.

With this legislation, it will be. One can only hope that discretion will be used....

I'm not condoning excessive speed (which as I said can still be within a posted limit), but the real killer of drink/drug driving needs harsher penalties for sure - we need a major wake-up call on this front. No driving licence with you in court, it should be a simple detention period until you can 'find' it....

[JohnH]

As with every piece of Irish legislation the problem will be in the enforcement. Certainly doing over 30kmh above the limit in an urban location or on many N roads, particularly is madness. However, 150kmh on an empty motorway is nothing. Sadly I expect that the majority of the enforcement will be done on motorways where its easy to catch people, rather than on N roads where it would encourage safer driving, reducing the numbers caught but saving lives.

I think this is just electioneering, driven by Ross with the rest of the cabinet afraid of being seen as not caring about road deaths. In reality I think people don't drive like they used to. Back in the mid 90s I remember solid lines of traffic on National roads the whole way to Navan doing 80mph+ with some overtaking. I fondly remember racing my little Nissan Sunny against a 2.4L Mitsubishi Galant the whole way to Navan and only losing at the very end where the lanes merged outside the fire station on the ring road. Anyway, I digress. The point is that behaviour would now result in being reported by a concerned motorist and most likely an arrest.

I think if road safety was really a concern, rather than penalising car drivers, there would more safety campaigns for pedestrians and cyclists. J walking is now a god given right in Dublin and it seems lights on a bike are a polite suggestion to be considered, about 50% of time.

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

And what about those people that get green lights at junctions and move off around the corner only to immediately stop at the red light intended for traffic from a different direction of the junction.....is nothing getting done about these maniacs?!


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[wcooba]

If you oppose this (outrageous) proposal please sign this petition: http://chng.it/cvmBwL4z

I really hope we can get at least 10k signatures there!

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[Valdelisbmw]

every, every day , way too often , these c.nts crossing on red light ..... and c.nts sleeping on right hand lanes .....

[Big H]

Looks like this ammendment has been canned (certainly until the general election in May 2020).

FF are not in favour of it at all - they want the current laws enforced, not new ones introduced by the attention whore Ross.

In summary - vote FF in May....

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/...il-966809.html