Are we taking uninsured driving seriously?
- Thread starter Brendan Burgess
- Start date
Punishing the innocent has always been a key element of our governments' response to its many failures to enforce legislation and regulation.
(That's why we're paying for the repairs to all those mica houses!)
Well we can't punish those charged to policing and enforcing the regulations as they are State employees and so blameless no matter what they do (or don't do).
Dr Strangelove
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AGS simply never had, does not, and never will have an interest in roads policing.
Cops like to catch bad guys, not the tedious administrative process of ensuring cars are parked correctly, fully insured, etc.
I have long thought that a dedicated transport police reporting to the Minister for Transport is necessary.
Cops like to catch bad guys, not the tedious administrative process of ensuring cars are parked correctly, fully insured, etc.
I have long thought that a dedicated transport police reporting to the Minister for Transport is necessary.
It would be money well spent - it wouldn't be permanent, as the number of offenders would drop over time - and that's before we consider the income the prisoners would generate working on the chain gangs!
And further evidence of the utter incompetence of our law makers and the consequences of poorly thought out legislation; from today's Irish Times:
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www.irishtimes.com
I wonder is there even a penalty on the statute books for failing to surrrender one's licence? If there is, then I suspect that it has never been applied.
Large numbers of disqualified drivers still not surrendering licences, says road safety group
Data compiled by civil society organisation Parc shows widespread disregard of requirement by motorists
I wonder is there even a penalty on the statute books for failing to surrrender one's licence? If there is, then I suspect that it has never been applied.
thedaddyman
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In this day and age, why on earth does anyone have to surrender their licence?. It's a plastic card. Surely, in the same way that there is a database on insured cars which the Gardai can access, there is also a database of licences and if the Gardai stop someone, all they should have to do is key the number into a portal and it says if the driver should be driving or not? or stick a QR code on new ones and all they have to do is scan it.
This licence surrender stuff is back in the Dark Ages in my view
This licence surrender stuff is back in the Dark Ages in my view
We were close to that in urban areas with parking attendants who check parking compliance and can check registration numbers, NCT, tax, and insurance validity, and can clamp cars. I don't know if they can demand to see licence details. They messed all that up by employing the gurrier clampers from private industry.
Times are getting slow, the Indo had that last week.
I don't see incompetence on behalf of the law makers here, there's a case for same against law enforcers, but as above, the Gardai have access to the database, so they no longer have to assume that a license presented to them is valid. Is there a consequence?
Then permit me to explain.
As I quoted above "the RSA has told the Oireachtas Transport Committee that to police such an arrangement, and to prosecute disqualified drivers for not returning their licences, the RSA would have to have staff in every court which deals with motoring offences."
The law makers should have realised that unless the staffing of the RSA was sufficient to meet the above requirement, then the provision couldn't be implemented. And that, in my vocabulary, is incompetence.
And did it strike you that, if the driver tells the garda that s/he hasn't got their licence with them, then the garda can't key any number into the portal and hence is unable to check whether or not they are banned or not? So what will happen - and happens on a daily basis - is that the driver will be instructed to present their licence in a Garda Station within 10 days and will then be able to continue on his or her merry way.
Dr Strangelove
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Why can’t the Courts Service collect this data and return it to the RSA?
Presumably because the incompetent law makers didn't include that in the legislation.
Surprise surprise, the semi-competent quango that is the RSA suggest they should be the ones enforcing this and need more staff / money to do so. Law enforcement is a matter for the Gardai.
Did it not strike you that they can enter the persons name as an alternative? They don't need the license number to confirm that or whether the driver has valid insurance.
Again, what is the consequence of not collecting cancelled licences?
thedaddyman
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That's easily dealt with. It's a legal obligation under the Road Traffic act to produce your licence when asked for it by a Gardai. Pass a simple amendment to the act to remove the 10 days presentation piece and impound the car until a licence is produced. People will learn very quickly to carry it.
No reason why the Gardai also can't do a search on a persons name and address in this day and age
Dr Strangelove
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Or if you don’t have your licence on your person you have to walk home.
This is how it works in many EU countries.
16 years old, therefore uninsured, unlicensed.
>140kph = braking distance of at least 80 metres
The mother in the passenger seat should be prosecuted for endangering the life of her child as well as other road users, and she should be off the road for life. Unbelievable.
and driving an Audi SUV, not a Jeep Guard