Fines set to double for a host of motoring offences from Thursday

Drivers who break the law from Thursday of this week will see fines double in price for a host of road traffic offences. 

Fines for 16 road safety offences including speeding and using a phone while driving are ll set to rise in costs, Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton has announced.

The fine for speeding will double from €80 to €160 from Thursday, October 27, while the fine for using a mobile phone goes from €60 to €120. The fine for not wearing a seatbelt and for failing to ensure that a child is properly restrained will also increase to €120.

The fine for a learner permit holder driving a vehicle unaccompanied will also increase from €80 to €160, while the penalty for novice and learner drivers not displaying ‘L’ or ‘N’ plates will double to €120.

People who misuse disabled parking permits and illegally park in an electric charging bay are set to be fined from 2023, Minister Naughton confirmed.

"As of today, there have been 122 people killed on the road, an increase of 11 on this day last year, and compared to 2019,” Minister Hildegarde Naughton said at the annual RSA safety conference on Wednesday morning.

“In response to the increase in road deaths this year, this summer I announced that I was bringing forward the implementation of Action 30 in the Road Safety Strategy to review the penalties for serious road traffic offences and said that I intended to increase the fines for those offences that significantly contribute to road deaths.

“Last week I signed the necessary regulations, which will double the fixed charge penalty for a total of 16 high-risk driving offences including speeding, use of a mobile phone while driving, failure to wear a seatbelt or use an appropriate child restraint, and unaccompanied learner driving.

“This increase will come into effect after midnight tonight. These fines have not increased since they were introduced, in some cases almost 20 years ago. Increasing fines for road offences will act as a stronger deterrent to those who choose to break our lifesaving rules of the road,” Minister Naughton said.

Minister Naughton added: “Ireland’s current Road Safety Strategy outlines Safe Speeds as one of the main priority intervention areas. I’m delighted to see an emphasis, in today’s annual conference, on 30km/h speed limits. Setting more 30km/h speed limits on our streets is essential if we are to make our cities, towns and villages safe for communities, but it also has a role to play in tackling climate change and encouraging modal shift to more sustainable transport options".