Thomas P. Broughan
Question:146. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 704 of 11 June 2013, if the report referred to in the reply is now to hand. [5810/14]
View answerWednesday, 5 February 2014
Questions (146)
Written answers
As I indicated in my previous response, I sought a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the Deputy's request to provide, in tabular form, the number of fixed penalty notices issued by members of An Garda Síochána to motorists in the years 2011, 2013 and to 11 June, 2013 in County Donegal including a breakdown of the various road traffic offences for which these notices were issued. I also sought a report from the Courts Service regarding the Deputy's request for the number of motorists convicted in court following the issue of a fixed penalty notice during this period in County Donegal, and a breakdown of these offences which did not result in a conviction in court; and the number of motorists who were not convicted in court but who instead made a donation to charity.
After examination of the detailed request, I am now informed by the Garda authorities that the total number of fixed charge notices, by road traffic offence type, issued in County Donegal for the years 2011, 2012 and up to 7 June 2013 is illustrated in Table 1.
Fixed charge notices are an alternative to prosecution and give the individual the opportunity to acknowledge the road traffic offence, pay the fixed charge, and where the offence is a penalty point offence, incur the appropriate penalty points. If the person does not pay the fixed charge, he or she will, in the normal course, be prosecuted for the alleged offence.
In that regard, Tables 2 - 6 set out information provided by the Courts Service in relation to road traffic offences committed in County Donegal during the period 2011, 2012 and 2013. In so far as road traffic offences committed in 2013 referred to in Tables 2 - 4 are concerned, the figures supplied refer to those instances which have resulted in a court outcome by end 2013. Where the defendant was summonsed to court more than once they appear only once in the information provided.
Table 1 : Total number of fixed charge notices issued in County Donegal in 2011, 2012 and up to 7 June, 2013
|
Road Traffic Offence Type |
2011 |
2012 |
to 7 June, 2013 |
|
Speed - Intercept |
634 |
330 |
125 |
|
Speed - Non-Intercept |
6,346 |
5,230 |
646 |
|
Tax / Registration |
1,514 |
1,177 |
468 |
|
Parking |
752 |
260 |
48 |
|
General Bye Laws |
607 |
302 |
146 |
|
General Road Offences |
587 |
311 |
105 |
|
Dangerous Driving (s.51A RTA) |
172 |
111 |
43 |
|
Insurance |
117 |
49 |
23 |
|
Intoxicated driving a vehicle |
8 |
55 |
15 |
|
P.S.V. Regulations |
4 |
5 |
0 |
|
Construction / Use of Vehicles |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Lighting Regulations |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
Total |
10,741 |
7,831 |
1,626 |
Note: 'General Road Offences' category refers mainly to mobile phone offences and 'General Bye Laws' refers to a range of offences including seatbelt, traffic signs, red light and failure to yield offences.
I am informed by the Courts Service that the number of people convicted in court in County Donegal following the issue of a fixed penalty notice in respect of a road traffic offence, that did not require a mandatory court appearance, committed in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 is set out in Table 2.
Table 2: The number of people convicted in court in County Donegal on foot of a fixed charge penalty notice in 2011, 2012 and 2013
|
Road Traffic Offence Date |
No. of Defendants |
|
Jan - Dec 2011 |
211 |
|
Jan - Dec 2012 |
165 |
|
Jan - Dec 2013 |
51 |
I am further informed by the Courts Service that the number of people who were not convicted in court in County Donegal in respect of road traffic offences committed in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and who made a donation to charity is set out in Table 3.
Table 3: The number of motorists not convicted in court in County Donegal who made a donation to Charity in 2011, 2012 and 2013
|
Road Traffic Offence Date |
No. of Defendants |
|
Jan - Dec 2011 |
75 |
|
Jan - Dec 2012 |
105 |
|
Jan - Dec 2013 |
14 |
I am further advised that Table 4 provides a detailed breakdown of the road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of road traffic offences committed in 2013.
Table 4 : Breakdown of road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of offences committed in 2013
|
Road Traffic Offence |
Dismiss |
Dismiss on Probation |
Strike Out |
Poor Box |
Strike Out not Served |
Taken Into Consideration |
Total |
|
Adult Occupant Failing to Wear Safety Belt (Driver of Category M1 Vehicle) |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
15 |
|
|
Adult Occupant Failing to Wear Safety Belt (Driver of Category N1 Vehicle) |
4 |
1 |
5 |
||||
|
Adult Occupant Failing to Wear Safety Belt (Driver of Category N2 Vehicle) |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Crossing continuous white line - (Single) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
|
Driver failing to Restrain Child of 3 years or more in a Child Restraint |
2 |
2 |
|||||
|
Driver failing to Restrain Child under 3 years in a Child Restraint |
2 |
2 |
|||||
|
Driving across/along a median strip |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Driving past a red traffic light |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||||
|
Driving without reasonable consideration |
2 |
5 |
7 |
Table 4 (continued): Breakdown of road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of offences committed in 2013
|
Exceed built up area speed limit 50 km/h |
8 |
8 |
|||||
|
Exceed regional and local road Speed Limit 80 km/h |
5 |
3 |
2 |
31 |
41 |
||
|
Exceed regional and local Speed Limit 80 km/h |
2 |
2 |
4 |
||||
|
Exceeding National Road Speed Limit 100km/h |
3 |
3 |
31 |
37 |
|||
|
Exceeding Special Speed Limit 100 km/h |
4 |
4 |
|||||
|
Exceeding special speed limit 60 km/h |
1 |
6 |
8 |
28 |
43 |
||
|
Failing to stop for Garda |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||||
|
Failure to stop at Stop Sign |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
General obligation regarding speeding |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Holding a mobile phone while driving |
1 |
16 |
17 |
||||
|
Total |
7 |
4 |
22 |
14 |
149 |
2 |
198 |
I am also advised that Table 5 provides a detailed breakdown of the road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of road traffic offences committed in 2012.
Table 5: Breakdown of road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of offences committed in 2012
|
Road Traffic Offence |
Dismiss |
Dismiss on Probation |
Strike Out |
Poor Box |
Strike Out not Served |
Taken Into Consideration |
Total |
|
Adult Occupant Failing to Wear Safety Belt (Driver of Category M1 Vehicle) |
1 |
3 |
4 |
||||
|
Crossing "broken" white line and causing danger |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Crossing a "broken" white line (in parallel with continuous white line) |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Crossing a continuous white line (in parallel with "broken" white line) |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Crossing continuous white line - (Double) |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Crossing continuous white line - (Single) |
6 |
6 |
|||||
|
Driving across/along a median strip |
3 |
3 |
|||||
|
Driving past a red traffic light |
1 |
2 |
3 |
||||
|
Driving without reasonable consideration |
4 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
17 |
||
|
Entering "hatched markings" Area of Roadway |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Exceed built up area speed limit 50km/h |
1 |
12 |
13 |
48 |
73 |
||
|
Exceed Ordinary Speed Limit (General) (Certain Vehicles) |
1 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
|||
|
Exceed regional and local road speed limit 80km/h |
3 |
6 |
8 |
63 |
80 |
Table 5 (continued): Breakdown of road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of offences committed in 2012
|
Exceeding National Road Speed Limit 100km/h |
2 |
13 |
11 |
100 |
126 |
||
|
Exceeding Special Speed Limit 50 km/h |
1 |
28 |
15 |
58 |
102 |
||
|
Exceeding Special Speed Limit 100 km/h |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Exceeding Special Speed Limit 60 km/h |
7 |
3 |
32 |
31 |
109 |
182 |
|
|
Exceeding Special Speed Limit 80 km/h |
2 |
2 |
4 |
||||
|
Failing to stop for Garda |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
|
Failing to Wear A Safety Belt (Driver) |
1 |
3 |
14 |
18 |
|||
|
Failure to stop at Stop Sign |
1 |
2 |
3 |
||||
|
Holding a Mobile Phone While Driving |
5 |
7 |
16 |
28 |
|||
|
Overtaking/Attempting to overtake in a dangerous manner |
2 |
2 |
|||||
|
Permit person under 17 years occupy a forward facing front seat no child restraint |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Total |
14 |
6 |
108 |
90 |
444 |
4 |
666 |
I am further advised that Table 5 provides a detailed breakdown of the road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of road traffic offences committed in 2011.
Table 6: Breakdown of road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in respect of offences committed in 2011
|
Road Traffic Offence |
Dismiss |
Dismiss on Probation |
Strike Out |
Poor Box |
Strike Out not Served |
Taken Into Consideration |
TOTAL |
|
Crossing continuous white line - (Double) |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Crossing continuous white line - (Single) |
4 |
4 |
|||||
|
Driver Permitting Rear Seat Passenger Under 17yrs Not To Wear A Safety belt |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Driving across/along a median strip |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Driving past a red traffic light |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
|
Driving without reasonable consideration |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
|
Exceed built up area speed limit 50 km/h |
1 |
5 |
4 |
13 |
23 |
||
|
Exceed regional and local road speed limit 80 km/h |
1 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
16 |
||
|
Exceeding National Road Speed Limit 100km/h |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
13 |
23 |
|
|
Exceeding Special Speed Limit 50 km/h |
1 |
5 |
8 |
26 |
40 |
||
|
Exceeding special speed limit 60 km/h |
2 |
21 |
17 |
64 |
104 |
Table 6 (continued): Breakdown of road traffic offences which did not result in a conviction in court in County Donegal in 2011
|
Exceeding special speed limit 80 km/h |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Failing to stop for Garda |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
|
Failing to Wear A Safety Belt (Driver) |
2 |
3 |
5 |
||||
|
Failure to stop at stop line where both stop sign and line are provided |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Failure to stop at Stop Sign |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Holding a Mobile Phone While Driving |
1 |
5 |
7 |
13 |
|||
|
Permit person under 17 years occupy a forward facing front seat no child restraint |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
9 |
3 |
45 |
35 |
149 |
1 |
242 |