The penalty offense for not wearing seat-belts should also include people who fail to wear them properly. I work in A&E and have seen three cases where patients from RTA’s are brought in with fractured ribs puncturing their lungs because they had their seatbelt under their arm instead of across the chest. Absolutely mind boggling.

Benny great thats just one experience. Would you like to them about the bodies cut in 2 in speed crashes by seat belts. While I agree with seatbelt enforcement it not the complete story. Driving in this country is still dangerous because of 1 road condition & 2 driving standards. These problems have been here since the 70s. When will this be dealth with. Seat belt wearing is less of a problem than it was 10 years ago by a light year. Its time we devoted time to the bigger problems like road repairs. I see these new plans for seat belt wearing. Why? The law is strong enough to deal with it. If you give 10 points for not wearing a seat belt its no use if its not enforced. Seat belt wearing is a minor issue.

That’s pretty woof on the dog.

I’ve always wondered did Gay Byrne (Chairman of the Road Safety Authority) ever get a fine after been caught not wearing seat belt while being chauffeured around Dublin. Check out YouTube -Gay Byrne not wearing seatbelt.

Spot on Sarah!. People belt up & save lives!

That could come under Section 51A!!!

it appears to be the addition of the penalty points.

Oh right. I always thought you would receive penalty points before. Think when I started driving my dad told me everything would give me penalty points to scare me :-)

Yes there is an addition of point. Beggars believe how the anti everything brigade feel its a revenue exercise

I also get frustrated at being stuck behind a tractor but are you suggesting the Driver of a tractor check his rear-view mirror to count the vehicles, and when they amount to 7 he should then pull in? Surely this wouldn’t improve road safety!?

no. but it might keep the farmer off his mobile phone

What it will stop is frustrated drivers making stupid overtaking manoeuvres and putting their lives and the lives of other road users at risk.

How do you suggest Farmers move from location to location? Their Tractors obviously can’t travel fast. I know it’s frustrating but farmers have to get from A to B in order to do their work

That’s why the RSA are reluctant to bring in minimum speed limits. It seems to be ok for a tractor to be driven at 40kmh on a 80kmh streach but not for a car.

I’m sure if Tractors could do over 80kmph you’d have every farmer in the country passing you out ;-)

@Gerry the onus is on the drivers behind any vehicle to ONLY overtake when it is SAFE to do so not on the Vehicle in front to have to worry about what the fool behind is doing Once the front vehicle uses his indicators to let the Vehicles behind what his intentions are as in left indicator for turning left right indicator for right turn and all brake lights are working. So Gerry go back to your rules of the road book and check it out and Slow Down think of ALL other road users

Bernadette, there is also the offence of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users. Do you honestly think excessively slow drivers/vehicles driving on the road with a line of vehicles stuck behind is reasonable?

Richie That’s if I was stupid enough to drive at 40kmh on a 80kmh streach in normal conditions.

Yes driver of slow moving vehicles should, in alot of cases do and are technically required by road traffic legislation to allow traffic to pass.

regardless of anything else Bernadette is without question right, the driver decides to overtake regardless of who is in front of him or behind him and it’s him or her who is responsible for making sure its safe to do so

Bernadette I suggest you actually read my comment more carefully. I said they put their own lives and the lives of OTHERS at risk. Doesn’t matter how slowly or carefully I drive if someone comes speeding at me on the wrong side of the road, while overtaking a tractor. Please read and understand comments fully before making ignorant and uninformed replies.

Ah the great Gerry I would suggest you read comments and understand them before abusing a woman who has made a very valid point. Ignorant is right

It’s been enforced and in general seatbelt compliance here is fairly high so the majority of us have nothing to worry about

from that article it seems that children under 3 must be “properly restrained” which would mean a car seat. although interesting that requirement doesn’t go higher than 3, I’m yet to see a 5year old that wouldn’t need a booster as the regular belt would be too high..

It is not a new rule that car seats are required for under 3′s, its been the law since 2003:

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety/Campaigns/Current-road-safety-campaigns/No-Child-Car-Seat—No-Excuse/The-Law/

I’m against our hurdle towards a nanny state that controls our every move. infact it sickens me.
But I have to say I have no problem with this. its as much focused on a person without a seatbelt being a danger to others as themselves

Nanny state my arse if people by now haven’t the cop on to properly restrain their kids in cars instead of sitting them on their knee or letting them run around the back seat while driving they should be locked up not given penalty points

Actually it’s not for a change. Or at least there doesn’t seem to be an increase in fines

Stupid comment,yeh trying to protect children is just a money making exercise

Hi Mark, I have to dis agree with you on this. I work as a firefighter and have attended several fatallities in the last few months, the common denominator in all was no seat belt being worn, I’m not saying they wouldn’t of died with it on but they certaintly would of had a chance with it on and they had no chance with it off.

Completely agree Mark. It not about safety its about Revenue. We have enough seat belt legislation enforce it.

@mjhint maybe I’m missing something and if I am I’m sorry but how is it a revenue exercise? The fines are in place for years they’re just increasing penalty points on offences that are already there.

Also and it’s a simple fact, there are few guarantees in life but I can guarantee that I will never be fined or get penalty points because there is a child in my car who is not strapped in. So revenue collecting or not shouldn’t affect anyone who has an ounce of common sense.

There are more important road safety issues at play than seat belt wearing. Its an easy target to make money on & it shows how short sighted the rsa is. I agree with seatbelt legislation but it does not need to be improved it needs to be enforced. This is just more empty law making. Why dont they cut the trees & hedges along the roads which contributes to about 50 deaths a year. Again no enforcement. This is a smoke screen. You say you will never get points because of this issue. Do you want medal. When my kids are in the car I do a lot more than make sure their strapped in. Im a proffessional driver of 25 years so I have a bit more insight to what might go wrong & thats to my advantage. However it drives me mad when general public are fed this sh##e & think yes the rsa are right & we should do what we are told. We have seatbelt wearing culture here look at the posts on here. Very few people dont wear them. I want better road safety & that starts with road improvement. Now theres an area that has not kept up with road safety. If you want to feel warm & fluffy when a clown from the dept of transport or rsa says,”you must comply”, thats your choice. I want proper road safety.

@mjhint you’re not the only professional driver on here but that could mean anything including a taxi driver. And no I don’t want a medal I was highlighting the simple point that the majority of road users including myself comply with this legislation but as we can see on the road every single day alot of people don’t and if they are to get two extra penalty point why would you get all hot and bothered and condescending. I’m driving as long as you are and have as big a problem as you with some of the things I believe should be done but are not. So when you’re finished collecting your medal for been a professional driver hop of your high horse and accept the fact that there are loads of professional drivers out there, 25 years driving is not an exceptionally long time driving depending on the type of driving you do and you are not the only one who knows about road safety

What type of driving in your opinion would qualify for being experienced.

@mjhint, I didn’t say 25 years isn’t experience but 25 years driving in an out of town for the groceries or driving a taxi would not in my opinion give the driver more experience than an ambulance driver driving in pressure situations for 10 years or a police pursuit driver driving under pressure or any emergency vehicle drivers.

And no I’m not saying you only drive in and out of town or are a taxi driver and yes there is more that needs to be done but I would be interested to know your level of professionalism.

Vinny I not any of those & being honest they are not professional drivers. They are very well trained drivers but their job is not driving. I have a huge amount of experience. I see people killed & injured on the road everyday & seatbelts are small issues. I did not mean to be heavy handed but road safety is not being taken serious enough here. It most definately has advanced but its running out of steam. The reason for this is it needs fines to be funded. When that happens the purpose of road safety gets lost. I want more. I want good drivers on the road & the rest to get off it. Whenever I see the rsa talking like this I realise we dont understand safe roads. Professional drivers are the ones paying the majority of these fines & there are 2 questions to be asked. Are professional drivers that bad at driving or is it a scam. In my view all drivers should be pursued the same & then even you will see the scam that is the rsa.

@mjhint, seriously can I ask what you consider a professional driver? I am trying to think of the type of driving you are referring to which is done on a public road and I’m drawing a blank.

I thought you were experienced. Who are the most experience drivers in the world.

Most experienced drivers in the world depends on who u ask, my wife thinks she is. I can only conclude from the content of your posts and your profile picture you are a rally driver.

No never drove a rallycar in competition in my life. But the irony of the fact that you & the general public dont know who the highest trained most experienced & in general the safest drivers on the road are. This is why Im upset about road safety. The lack of knowledge of the general driver population. Its time to change that. Good night.

@mjhint you’re a truck driver?

Seriously Mj I was thinking truck driver when i said rally driver but didn’t want to insult you or appear condescending.

Are u a truck driver?

Mjhint The reason professional drivers get more fines and penalty points than the ordinary 12000 miles per year driver is simple. They drive up to 10 times further.