Fines for 16 road offences double: Here's what you need to know

RSA chairperson Liz O'Donnell with Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, and Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman at the announcement that as from midnight, fines are doubling for road safety offences such as speeding, mobile phone use and non-wearing of seatbelts. Picture: Robbie Reynolds

Fines relating to 16 road safety offences, including speeding and mobile phone use, are now double what they were.

Speeding fines jumped from €80 to €160 and mobile phone use fines have gone from €60 to €120. Fines for non-wearing of seatbelts and failing to ensure a child is properly restrained have also increased to €120.

This is the first time the fines have been increased since they came into effect some 20 years ago.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton also announced three new fines will come into force in the new year.

These include the misuse of a disabled parking permit (€200), illegally parking in an electric charging bay (€80) and breaching a HGV ban and entering a specified public road without a valid permit (€200).

The announcements were made at the RSA’s annual conference on Wednesday, and aim to tackle speeding after 123 people have been killed on Irish roads this year — an increase of 12 fatalities from this time last year.

It was also announced the fine for a learner driver driving a vehicle unaccompanied by a qualified person will increase from €80 to €160.

Meanwhile, the fine for novice and learner drivers not displaying ‘L’ or ‘N’ plates, or tabards in the case of motorcyclists, will double to €120.

Other fine increases include those relating to failing to stop a vehicle for a school warden (€160) and failing to stop a bicycle for a school warden stop sign (€80).

Fines relating to non-compliance with appropriate car seats for children aged over and under three have also doubled.

Ms Naughton said: “Increasing fines for road offences will act as a stronger deterrent to those who choose to break our lifesaving rules of the road.” 

Wednesday’s conference will also hear of the benefits of implementing a 30km/h speed limit on urban streets, something the minister described as “essential if we are to make our cities, towns and villages safe for communities”.

She added “it also has a role to play in tackling climate change and encouraging modal shift to more sustainable transport options.”

'They just want to be seen to be doing something'

Independent TD Michael Healy Rae has described plans to double fines for motoring offences as “crazy” with no consideration for the public.

Mr Healy Rae said that he was totally opposed to the doubling of fines.

“Because this was something that was started by the former Minister for Transport Shane Ross and since Shane Ross introduced the legislation at that time the amount of road deaths, very sadly, has actually increased year-on-year since that time."

The doubling of fines was to do with revenue, not with reducing deaths on the roads, he said.

“I would like to see past and present Ministers having to wake up to this reality that coming along and increasing penalty points, which I know is not the case now, but doubling the fines, that is not a sensible way about tackling this most serious problem.

“They just want to be seen to be doing something, but what they're doing is they're hammering our hard pressed motorists - a person could say well I'm wrong because nobody should be incurring a fine in the first instance, well show me a perfect person and I'll say to you we're not all perfect.

“Imagine a fine going from €60 to €120, doubling the fine - what do they think? That people are made of money?” Mr Healy Rae said the proposal was crazy.

“I think it's wrong and it shows a lack of understanding by Government - number one, of the problem that we have because they're not tackling it properly and number two, they've no consideration for the people that they're there to serve.”