Road rage as Kilkenny drivers face harsh new penalities under new laws

Kilkenny drivers will be hit with increased penalties depending on how fast they are caught driving above the speeding limit under new laws approved by the Government today.

Transport Minister Shane Ross has long campaigned to bring about changes to Irish driving laws by implementing a graduated speeding penalty system that would see drivers travelling at higher speeds slapped with bigger fines and more penalty points.

The Cabinet today approved his proposals, replacing the current system whereby all fines are set at three penalty points and an €80 fine no matter how fast a person is driving.

The new laws approved will see incremental fines and points depending how fast a driver is clocked over the speed limit.

Under the new system of penalties:
*Those caught driving up to 10kph over the limit will receive two penalty points on their license and a €60 fine on a fixed charge, or four penalty points on conviction in court;
*Those caught driving 10kph to 20kph over the limit will receive three penalty points and an €80 fine on a fixed charge, or five penalty points on conviction in court;
*Those caught driving 20kph to 30kph over the limit will receive four penalty points and a €100 fine on a fixed charge, or six points on conviction;
*Those caught driving over 30kph above the speed limit will be handled in the courts on charges of dangerous driving and could receive up to a €2,000 fine and a driving ban.

If speeding motorists fail to pay the fixed charge and are convicted in court they face a fine of €1,000 for the first offence and €2,000 for the second and subsequent offence. If a second offence happens within 12 months, they could face jail time.

Speaking after the announcement that his plans had been approved by Cabinet, Minister Ross said: “The objective is not to penalise people but to change behaviour. We don’t want to catch people speeding; we want to encourage them to stop speeding so as to prevent deaths and injuries on our roads.

“This ‘one penalty fits all’ system is not particularly fair, and it is not targeted at the most dangerous driving behaviour. This enables a focus on the more dangerous drivers and offers a deterrent to the most dangerous speeding offences.”