Penalty points and NCT

[Pique318]

I cant believe how happy I am (maybe I should get my car NCT'd more regularly, could be the new natural prozac)

At €50 a pop, I'll take the synthesised version thank you very much !!!


I can't believe (but unfortunately I do) all these stories of this magical €100 to pass your car. Jaysus, no wonder we were found to be more corrupt than the Italians a few years back....and they practically wrote the book on corruption !

 

[Caveat]

Never heard or experienced anything dodgy about my local centre.

In fact the last time the guy had a bit of a chat and complimented me on the excellent condition of the car or "really clean example" as they say.

 

[lightswitch]

[broken link removed]

Just received this from the AA, aparently all the worry about getting 5 points is nonsence. Hopefully they are right

 

[nai]

No more ridiculous than the fact that, while driving, you can undo the wrapper on a pack of cigarettes, remove the foil, take out a cigarette, light a match, light the cigarette and smoke away with impunity whereas I press the answer button on my mobile phone and hold it up to my ear while driving my automatic motor I can get 2 penalty points and a €60 fine. It's absurd imo.

you should have a look at the uk traffic cops episode that was on last weekend in relation to mobile use while driving - a truck driver was messing with his phone, did see a line of stationary traffis, hit them at 60 w/o touching the brakes and squashed a peugeout so badly it took the fire service approx 2 hours to work out how many people were in the car.
There were some of their traffic cops interviewed who said that in a short period (1-2 months) they had investigated a number of crashes where people were killed and at least 3 excluding the truck had been a direct result of people 'just answering a call !'
There are alot of statistics out there that show how dangerous using a phone is while driving - and your automatic comment is meaningless - it's about concentration and time to react, not having two hands on the wheel.

 

[Simeon]

You could and that's exactly the point ! No need for a separate law governing mobile phone use while driving at all imo. Existing road traffic laws should have been enough to cover the use of mobile phones while driving. There's a big difference road safety wise between answering a call while driving an automatic car versus,for example, making a call while driving a manual car or texting while driving yet the offence is that of " holding a mobile phone " so in each case you will get the same penalty points! If you are going to have a separate offence for mobile phone use while driving you might as well introduce other new driving offences for fiddling with the radio while driving , opening and eating a Mars bar or lighting a cigarette etc.

Again, a stupid law that is already covered by "undue attention" etc. Now, if a garda in a passing squad car notices you chatting while steering and then pulls you, is he paying due care and attention to his driving? What about changing radio stations? Opening manually or pressing the electric window button? I know some people who are barely capable of breathing and changing gears simultaneously. I also know people that can keep lots of hoops in the air, whistle AND breathe. Many years ago, the gardai said that listening to the radio would distract drivers. This, of course, did not include officers on their hand held gadgets. Who makes these rules?

 

[Latrade]

Again, a stupid law that is already covered by "undue attention" etc. Now, if a garda in a passing squad car notices you chatting while steering and then pulls you, is he paying due care and attention to his driving? What about changing radio stations? Opening manually or pressing the electric window button? I know some people who are barely capable of breathing and changing gears simultaneously. I also know people that can keep lots of hoops in the air, whistle AND breathe. Many years ago, the gardai said that listening to the radio would distract drivers. This, of course, did not include officers on their hand held gadgets. Who makes these rules?

I suppose within there is the question and answer. Sometimes the generality of Primary Legislation needs some focus and specifics. Case in point the gardai saying that listening to the radio is a distraction would you really want to leave that kind of decision down to the whim of an individual at an individual point in time on an individual day?

If it was left open to the opinion of the individual garda with no guidance or specific offences you wouldn't have consistency. You'd be done for eating a bounty in the car in Swords, but ok in Navan or something. Also, the legislation sets out the penalty points for specific offences, it doesn't mean that other offences don't exist, just that these offences carry set pps.

It'd be an ideal world where a general statement in legislation could be consistently enforced.

Slightly back on topic, and on the line of self-incrimination, I was... I mean a friend of mine, happens to have been an idiot and left their NCT to the last minute not planning on this whole crock kicking off and so when I...they, went to renew, they got stuck in with the panic bookings and now has 2 months to wait. Anyway stopped at a check point, sweating copiously, had out the booking forms as well as pleas for mercy and tales woe, garda stops the car, looks at the discs and waves me on without a by or leave. So much for clamping down just yet.

Cue numerous in car jokes about how the emissions test would have been failed at that point. In my, his, defence it was the dinner of cabbage the previous day and nothing to do with thinking they'd be nicked.

 

[bond-007]

Well I just rang them there for my father. No tests until the 20th of July in Arklow.

My neighbour happens to be a NCT tester and he has told me that he will not test any cars from the village and he has told me to take my car to a different centre.

 

[zag]

Mrs Zag dropped in to the local NCT on the way to work this morning but they don't take bookings there. She checked the website and they had no slots in the next 5 weeks or whatever. She had more success ringing them than I did and managed to secure a booking in Deansgrange for the end of July - almost 90 days away.

z

 

[DrMoriarty]

I've had to delete a number of posts in this thread. I'd ask those involved to please refrain from making potentially allegations. Or go and make them somewhere else.

 

[Lex Foutish]

My car went for NCT yesterday. I didnt have it checked or serviced beforehand. I just replaced a blown parking light bulb myself. Arrived two minutes before the appointed time, the car went in exactly on time and 21 minutes later I was driving out with my cert. Would that everything went as smoothly.............

 

[RMCF]

Could someone confirm the legality of getting a date for an NCT (say for example in 5 weeks time) and then being able to drive the car in the meantime?

Is it legal to do this or can you still get fined for it? I know people will say that it was the owners responsibility to get a test sorted before their old one ran out, but most people can't do without their car for this length of time if they hadn't got a test booked.

 

[Latrade]

Could someone confirm the legality of getting a date for an NCT (say for example in 5 weeks time) and then being able to drive the car in the meantime?

Is it legal to do this or can you still get fined for it? I know people will say that it was the owners responsibility to get a test sorted before their old one ran out, but most people can't do without their car for this length of time if they hadn't got a test booked.

It's still driving without a valid NCT. However, as the AA have pointed out extensively, the points are the maximum on conviction (similar to 6 months in prison for littering being a potential punishment rather than the actual punishment).

Purely based on experience of others (ergo not an official or absolute rule), it seems the gardai are aware of the situation and if you do have a letter they are inclined to let it go. Of course this doesn't mean every individial garda is so inclined, plus if the car looks a complete write off then they may take it further.

But from their point of view NCT has been in place for nearly 10 years, it's a bit late in the day to be crying foul.

 

[RMCF]

Thanks

My situation is slightly different. I own an old car (classic?) that was in storage and have recently decided to put it back on the road, hence me not having an NCT.

I emailed the NCT booking email address over 3 weeks ago and have heard nothing since.

 

[Latrade]

Thanks

My situation is slightly different. I own an old car (classic?) that was in storage and have recently decided to put it back on the road, hence me not having an NCT.

I emailed the NCT booking email address over 3 weeks ago and have heard nothing since.

I think persisting with the old phone seems to be the best option rather than email or internet.

I didn't mean to imply anything in my post btw, just there has been an element of "how dare they" when it's not exactly a new system.

I suppose in your case you can keep it off the road until the NCT? Might be the best option if you have any concerns.

 

[RMCF]

I think persisting with the old phone seems to be the best option rather than email or internet.

I didn't mean to imply anything in my post btw, just there has been an element of "how dare they" when it's not exactly a new system.

I suppose in your case you can keep it off the road until the NCT? Might be the best option if you have any concerns.

Yeah keeping it off the road may be the best option.

I appreciate you weren't implying anything, I was just adding some info to help the thread as I know that its the owners responsibility to ensure they have a test organised in time so they aren't driving around without an NCT, but mine was slightly different.

 

[Vanilla]

Guards are definitely cracking down on NCT in our area. Was driving down street in my admittedly ancient volvo and passed them going other direction. They took one look at my car and did a u-turn to pull me. Natch I had my NCT disk though.

 

[BOXtheFOX]

Mrs Box had her car tested this week and it passed with flying colours. In fact the car is even healthier than when it had it's last NCT test according to the report, despite it not having had a service since it's last test. Car heal thyself.

 

[RMCF]

Mrs Box had her car tested this week and it passed with flying colours. In fact the car is even healthier than when it had it's last NCT test according to the report, despite it not having had a service since it's last test. Car heal thyself.

Perhaps it shows the test is not overly accurate?

 

[Smashbox]

My brothers car failed on minor things today, they said the retest had to be done in 3 weeks... this gonna be possible at all?!

 

[bond-007]

He needs to call them ASAP and rebook.