Got stopped by the Guards

Hiya when I was driving into work this morning the lights were amber and I went through them coz I didn't want to jam on in the snow and sleet. The Guards were behind me and pulled me over to give me a ticket. I disputer the fact by questioning what an amber light was for and been honest it got quite heated. The guard (there were three with one quiet one in the back) that was driving jumped out and checked my car again and saw I had no tax so gave me that too (my fault for not keeping my mounth shut) anyway I know I was in the wrong for not having tax but I couldn't afford to get it over christmas and January so I was getting it now after having been paid on Thursday. I am really ****ed off. I work hard and give people as many breaks in life as I can, Im in a position to do so with my job., but I just feel these guards were power tripping. I am broke and can't afford these fines and it's not as if I was speeding up the bus lane or something!!! I work for the government and found out on Friday I could be losing my job and these a$$holes could give people a break. I mean it's siberian conditions and I was afraid of someone going into the back of me. The guard took my details but didn't actually issue me with the ticket, I presume there will be one in the post. Do I get 2 points on my licence also? how much will these fines cost me?

Amber means stop,not always possible to do so safely.

Failure to obey traffic lights results in 2 points and a €80 to be paid within 28 days. I don't think there are penalty points for not having tax and the fine is €60.

FYI, this is what the road safety website has to say about Amber:

An amber light means that you must not go beyond the stop line or, if there is no stop line, beyond the light. However, you may go on if you are so close to the line or the light when the amber light first appears that stopping would be dangerous.

You obviously felt it would be dangerous, whereas the Gardaí in the car behind you felt otherwise.

I would have thought they would have issued a notice there and then. I broke a red light once (accidently if that makes any difference) and was pulled over and issued with the notice there and then. This was pre penalty points though, so things may have changed since.

As for them being on a power trip, well to be frank the more heated things got then the lower your chances of being let off. And to be fair to the Gardaí, finding you driving with no tax (for whatever reason) simply would have re-inforced their stance.

The best thing to do now is let off a little steam, pay for your tax as soon as possible, don't drive the car until it's paid, and see if you can set money aside to be for the fines.

pAnTs said:

.. I mean it's siberian conditions

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pAnTs said:

..but I couldn't afford to get it over christmas and January

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Could you truly not afford it, or is it that you chose to spend money on something else ? I mean, could you have renewed it for 3 months to buy some time before a 12 month renewal ?

Chocks who are you to dictate that he is wasting his time at work? That's personal, and uncalled for. You don't know his situation well enough to comment.

I can't believe he did it in front of a Guard, then made it worse by arguing about it. Then not having tax. Classic. Guards in my experience are very inconsistent how they enforce the law and some, (not all) are simply bullies. With that in mind, you have to tip toe around them. Not wave a red flag in front of them. If you've done that you can't really complain when they take the bait.

I was actually posting while I had time off. I can assure you I work extremly hard and am possibly losing my job because of the type of contract I have not because I am indespensible. I find the following statement offensive

'He also seems to be an inveterate moaner - not the type that other people cosy up to. Either co workers or bosses. People just don't like whingers.'

I am tired of people under the anonymity of the internet insulting people just because they can. You know nothing about me or my work situation and if we're gonna make judgements about people you don't sound too appealing yourself!!!

I thought I was making the right snap judgement. A little over a year ago my car was written off because someone went into the back of me, I didn't want that to happen again.

There are penalty points for not having tax....(but five points for no insurance)

askU said:

There are penalty points for not having tax....(but five points for no insurance)

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so I could be getting penalty point for no tax and running an amber light? great this just keeps getting better...

Based on the way the rest of the post is phrased, I think the previous poster meant to say that there are no penalty points for no tax.

Or if there is, I can't find any mention of it on the Penalty Points website.

AFAIK, the guards can cease a vehicle on the spot for not having tax. No penalty points for the offense though.

Valid points,but you did break the law twice,best to just nod and agree with the garda when they catch you by the short and curlies.

ye will in future, a lesson learned. I resent them though. I realise it's a difficult job and they are up against it but I think this morning was a bad call on their part. Was like they just wanted to excersize teir authority or something.