In the current situation Paul we were for sure. But one question my
guess is that the points in Ireland only apply to drivers as it could
be complex otherwise given many passangers wouldnt even have a
licence. Am I right in this Paul?? Otherwise what for passangers?

Yours
Charles


--- In stickittoclickit@yahoogroups.com, Paul Coxwell
<paulcoxwell@...> wrote:
>
> Charles wrote:
> > http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/crackdown-on-
seatbelt
> >
> > Press Releases
> > Search for press releases
> > Crackdown on those who don't use seatbelts
> > 15 September 2008
> >
> > The Home Office has launched a consultation into increasing the
fixed
> > penalty for those who fail to wear a seatbelt.
> >
> > The consultation (new window) seeks views on increasing the fixed
> > penalty from £30 to £60 for failure to comply with seat belt
> > legislation.
>
> The government hopes it will improve safety. More likely the
government
> hopes it will increase its revenue in fines.
>
> I guess that most of us in the U.K. knew that this would be coming
soon,
> as the fixed penalty for minor offenses has been £30 for quite a
few
> years now. The soon raised the £30 fine mobile-phone use while
driving
> to £60 plus 3 penalty point not long after the law was introduced.
>
> It must have been about a year, maybe two, ago that Ireland bumped
up
> its seat belt penalties and started putting penalty points on
licenses
> too. Then of course September 2006 saw the lasy big change to all
the
> child carseat/belt laws, which have become so complex that even
those
> people who normally DO use belts and child seats are likely to fall
foul
> of the legislation even if unintentionally.
>
> I'm only surprised that the U.K. hasn't yet started talking about
> penalty points for belt offenses, but I'm sure it won't be long.
>
> A point to ponder: What is the current fixed penalty for a basic
> construction & use offense? I have a feeling it might be £30. So
if
> the belt violation goes up to £60, and they DO eventually decide to
have
> it carry points, it will be a better risk to simply remove the
driver's
> belt from my car entirely. Have to check up on that one.....
>
> -Paul.
>