The penalty points system is causing confusion among drivers as 80 per cent who sent in the form with a speeding fine payment filled it in incorrectly and had it returned.
Evidence of the problems emerged yesterday in the Dublin District Court when the first motorists to be caught speeding under the system were called to appear for failing to pay the €80 fine after they received two penalty points.
Almost 30 drivers were convicted, with a doubling of their penalty points for the offence to four and fines averaging from €160 to €200. The offences were mainly for speeding at over 40 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. zone.
During the 40 cases before Judge Peter Smithwick, Sgt Nicholas Mulhall of the fixed penalties office said in the first three months the system was in operation, 80 per cent of all forms with payments received were not completed properly. These were returned.
The €80 fine must be paid within 28 days or €120 must be paid within the following month.
Some motorists yesterday who told the court they had cheques and forms returned were still fined an average of €160 each. Judge Smithwick said people were under an obligation to pay the €80 in time. He dismissed charges in three cases in which defendants said they had sent in their forms and cheques, therefore admitting the speeding offence, even though the fines office had no record of them.
This caused further confusion and Supt Derek Byrne of the fines office acknowledged that the dismissal of those charges was an unforeseen development. However, he said, the number of convictions showed the system worked.