This article is from page 10 of the 2006-12-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
DRIVERS caught speeding are being advised to read their fixed charge notices carefully, or they may find themselves before the courts.
The Head of the Clare Traffic Corps, Inspector Moynihan, was speaking to The Clare People after one man claimed in court that he wrote an incorrect driver’s licence number on the fixed charge form, in error, and subsequently received a summons.
The man told Ennis District Court last Friday that he put the number from the outside of his driver’s licence on the form. He should have written the number from the inside of his licence.
The fixed charge notice processing centre at Capel Street in Dublin did not recognise the number and issued him with a summons.
Inspector Moynihan said, “A few people are getting caught. If people read the notice they receive, they should not get a summons. It points out on the form what to do.”
A driver who is caught speeding is given 28 days to pay the fine. If it is not paid within 28 days, a notice is issued and if the fine is still not paid after 56 days, a summons is issued.
Inspector Moynihan said since the introduction of the fixed charge notice system last April, the number of people caught speeding in Clare has increased.
This has also coincided with the enlargement of the traffic corps in the Clare Division. Six new members have been added – bring the numbers to 20 – while another six will be added before the end of next year. A new traffic corps has also been set up in Killaloe.
Meanwhile, there has been a 94 per cent increase in the number of people arrested on suspicion of drink driving, since the introduction of random breath testing on July 21, compared with the same four and a halfmonth period last year.
Since the start of the year, there has been a 75 per cent increase in the number of drivers arrested for alleged drink driving – 458 so far this year, compared to 264 last year.
Several garda checkpoints are mounted every day and “less than 10” drivers have been arrested on suspicion of drink driving the morning after drinking alcohol the night before.
“Every area of the county is showing a big increase in the number of arrests,” he said.
The level of garda manpower previously afforded during Bank Holiday weekends is now available throughout the year.
“This level of enforcement is now the same all year round and will continue throughout the year. Random breath testing has been a great aid to us,” he said.