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10/03/2022
'Careless Driving' To Become Fixed Penalty Notice Offence
New legislation is to be developed to make careless driving a fixed penalty notice offence, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has announced.
Announcing that the decision had been taken following a recent consultation exercise, Minister Mallon said: "Unfortunately, careless driving is the main contributor to road traffic collisions in Northern Ireland involving injuries. I have made it clear that I take a zero tolerance approach to irresponsible behaviour on the roads and I am committed to working with partners to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries across our roads network.
"I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation exercise and for sharing their views. Having carefully considered the responses received, I have decided that careless driving should be made a fixed penalty notice offence, open to the offer of remedial training. This offence impacts passengers and other road users as well as the careless drivers themselves. This change will make it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers and reduce the number of minor motoring offences coming before our courts, deflecting police and prosecution resources away from more serious and contested criminal issues by allowing them to immediately issue a fixed penalty notice for low level offending rather than taking these offenders to court.
"My officials will commence work on drafting the legislation required to introduce this new fixed penalty which will be taken forward as soon as possible in the next mandate. This will increase the likelihood of drivers who are guilty of this offence being caught and punished appropriately. This is an important deterrent – and a good news story for law-abiding road users."
Of those who responded to the Infrastructure consultation, more than three quarters agreed that careless driving should be a fixed penalty notice offence and 68% agreed with the proposed level of penalty - £100 and 3 penalty points, in line with the legislation in GB.
The consultation also considered the potential for the introduction of Operation SNAP in Northern Ireland, where PSNI would accept dash cam footage, from the public, showing irresponsible or inappropriate road use. 74% of those who responded to the consultation supported this initiative. Any decision on the introduction of this approach is a matter for PSNI.
Announcing that the decision had been taken following a recent consultation exercise, Minister Mallon said: "Unfortunately, careless driving is the main contributor to road traffic collisions in Northern Ireland involving injuries. I have made it clear that I take a zero tolerance approach to irresponsible behaviour on the roads and I am committed to working with partners to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries across our roads network.
"I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation exercise and for sharing their views. Having carefully considered the responses received, I have decided that careless driving should be made a fixed penalty notice offence, open to the offer of remedial training. This offence impacts passengers and other road users as well as the careless drivers themselves. This change will make it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers and reduce the number of minor motoring offences coming before our courts, deflecting police and prosecution resources away from more serious and contested criminal issues by allowing them to immediately issue a fixed penalty notice for low level offending rather than taking these offenders to court.
"My officials will commence work on drafting the legislation required to introduce this new fixed penalty which will be taken forward as soon as possible in the next mandate. This will increase the likelihood of drivers who are guilty of this offence being caught and punished appropriately. This is an important deterrent – and a good news story for law-abiding road users."
Of those who responded to the Infrastructure consultation, more than three quarters agreed that careless driving should be a fixed penalty notice offence and 68% agreed with the proposed level of penalty - £100 and 3 penalty points, in line with the legislation in GB.
The consultation also considered the potential for the introduction of Operation SNAP in Northern Ireland, where PSNI would accept dash cam footage, from the public, showing irresponsible or inappropriate road use. 74% of those who responded to the consultation supported this initiative. Any decision on the introduction of this approach is a matter for PSNI.
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15 May 2023
New Penalty's Introduced For Careless Driving
The Department for Infrastructure has announced the introduction of a new fixed penalty notice of £100 and three penalty points to help tackle careless driving in Northern Ireland.
New Penalty's Introduced For Careless Driving
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07 September 2023
PSNI And DVA Launch Joint Operation In Omagh
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04 September 2008
Jailed Joyriders' Grave Record
Two car thieves with more than 150 convictions between them have each been jailed for two years - although that fate seems less dramatic than that of other so-called 'joyriders', several of whom have been killed.
Jailed Joyriders' Grave Record
Two car thieves with more than 150 convictions between them have each been jailed for two years - although that fate seems less dramatic than that of other so-called 'joyriders', several of whom have been killed.
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