Special traffic garda unit mooted

13 May 2002: A dedicated garda traffic unit may be set up on a national basis to deal with motoring and traffic offences.

It is part of the planning for the long-delayed implementation on a penalty points system here. The system is due in the autumn, if the necessary computer systms are in place. Motorists who record 12 points over three years will be automatically disqualified from driving for six months.

Senior gardai say a permanent national unit rather than the current system of divisional traffic units is essential in order to make the points system work. The points will be just part of a major crackdown on traffic offences and bad driving.

At the moment, the only real effort into dealing with bad driving is speed traps, which are more perceived as a revenue-generating exercise: last year almost 350,000 speeding tickets generated 20,739 euros in fines.

May 2002