Road Traffic Law

The use of speed detection cameras operating on Irish roads is to increase by 20 per cent following the allocation of an additional €1.2 million in funding. The extra €1.2m for GoSafe, which provides and operates safety cameras in Ireland, follows an agreement between justice minister Hele

The Court of Appeal has upheld a four-year disqualification from driving for a man who killed a 50-year-old woman in a rear-ending collision. The woman had been the passenger in a car driven by her daughter at the time of the accident. Delivering judgment in the case, Mr Justice John Edwards held th

The Supreme Court has granted leave to appeal in a dispute involving the insurance liability for injuries sustained by an employee while operating a rubbish truck. The proceedings had developed as a special case to determine liability between two insurers of the truck. Delivering a determination in

A new fixed penalty notice of £100 and three penalty points has been introduced to help tackle careless driving in Northern Ireland. The new penalty has introduced by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) through secondary legislation using its powers under Article 57(2) of the Road Traffic

The High Court has quashed a conviction for drink driving after the trial judge had relied on a previous conviction for the offence when determining guilt in the matter. The man did not have any previous convictions but had been arrested on suspicion of being drunk in charge of a vehicle. In the cir

The Court of Appeal has increased the sentence for a young man convicted of dangerous driving which caused the death of a young woman in Oughterard, County Galway. The man had originally been sentenced to three years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended. However, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy held tha

People injured by e-bikes and e-scooters should be entitled to compensation from the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), a prominent personal injury solicitor has said. Liam Moloney, managing partner of Kildare firm Moloney & Co Solicitors and vice-president of the Pan European Organisatio

The Court of Appeal has held that a mandatory disqualification from holding a driving licence due to careless driving only applies if the accused had two previous convictions for careless driving in a three-year period prior to the offence. The decision provides clarity on the issue of mandatory dis

Fines relating to 16 road safety offences have doubled with effect from today, the government has announced. The offences for which fines have doubled from 27 October include speeding (from €80 to €160), mobile phone use (€60 to €120), non-wearing of seatbelts (€60 to €

The judge with oversight of speeding ticket cancellations has said he "remains uneasy" about gardaí claiming exemptions for speeding while performing a routine duty. Judge Matthew Deery, the independent oversight authority for the Garda fixed charge processing system (FCPS) cancellation polic

Motorists will be allowed to watch TV in self-driving cars under proposed changes to the Highway Code in Great Britain – but using their mobile phones on the road will remain illegal. The UK government said the planned changes to the Highway Code, which follow a public consultation, will allow

Plans to criminalise the sale of e-scooters to under-16s have been dropped by ministers amid concerns the law would be unenforceable. The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021, which cleared the second stage in the Dáil in November, will regulate e-scooters in Ireland for the first time. They will

Judith Rountree, associate at Carson McDowell, offers a Northern Ireland practitioner's perspective on the new Highway Code in England, Wales and Scotland. The Department for Transport in England, Wales and Scotland have implemented a revised Highway Code which came into force on 29 January 2022. A

The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have today published a joint report making recommendations for the safe and responsible introduction of self-driving vehicles.  The report recommends introducing a new Automated Vehicles Act to regulate vehicles that can dr

Penalties for motorists caught parking on footpaths, cycle tracks and bus lanes will be doubled from February, the government has announced. Transport minister Eamon Ryan has signed regulations increasing the fixed charge penalty from €40 to €80 with effect from 1 February 2022.