Points on my new Northern Ireland Licence

[watchnut]

Weird this, but I am not complaining.

I made my first 3 points whilst on holiday in Northern Ireland. Was captured going through a red light 4.5 seconds after it had gone red. I was mortified. I only gathered I had gone through the red light when almost through the junction (It was a large one), multi laned going north out of the city towards the atlantic causeway route. This transgression spoiled my holiday a wee bit owing to

1. the points
2. could have caused an accident ....but no other cars around.....maybe if there had been I would not have been so blind?

There is no excuse for what I did......however I was trying to see what route to take by looking at over head gantry in distance and missed the lights, a mistake I would tut at anyone else doing....but 4.5 seconds after red....got to be a record?

I was invited to surrender my licence, and pay a fine of £65.00....

I have now had licence back, with a new "counterpart" licence for NI only with the 3 points and an offence code for NI

My full UK licence stays clean, it only counts in NI.

Therefore I view it that I do not have to declare this as points do not count in mainland UK. But if I go to Ireland again will have to take licence counterpart with me. I still have to notify them of change of name or address.

I also understand that they can only go to 9 points in NI before they may loose licence to drive over there....maybe wrong there.

I have gone on dlva website and checked my licence...still clean here

Wonder why NI is different to mainland?

Don't think same would happen to me if I went to Scotland or Wales...weird

[MB140]

Not a clue but I am interested to see where this goes.

[theworx]

watchnut said:

Therefore I view it that I do not have to declare this as points do not count in mainland UK. But if I go to Ireland again will have to take licence counterpart with me. I still have to notify them of change of name or address.

I also understand that they can only go to 9 points in NI before they may loose licence to drive over there....maybe wrong there.

I have gone on dlva website and checked my licence...still clean here

Wonder why NI is different to mainland?

Don't think same would happen to me if I went to Scotland or Wales...weird

Was it Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland? Points gained in the Republic of Ireland don't count in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK, i was under the impression points gained in Northern Ireland did count in the rest of the UK though

And it's 12 points before losing the licence.

Edited by theworx on Friday 17th August 19:29

[codenamecueball]

theworx said:

Was it Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland? Points gained in the Republic of Ireland don't count in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK, i was under the impression points gained in Northern Ireland did count in the rest of the UK though

And it's 12 points before losing the licence.

Edited by theworx on Friday 17th August 19:29

It would be 2 points in the Republic.

[Peter911]

I was surprised by this so done some more research.

If you are disqualified in Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man you get an MR prefix which means mutual recognition, and you are also disqulaified in the UK.

Surprisingly, this also occurs with Eire.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/driving-disq...

Edited by Peter911 on Saturday 18th August 11:58

[MB140]

Peter911 said:

I was surprised by this so done some more research.

If you are disqualified in Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man you get an MR prefix which means mutual recognition, and you are also disqulaified in the UK.

Surprisingly, this also occurs with Eire.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/driving-disq...

Edited by Peter911 on Saturday 18th August 11:58

I just skim read the article, but that seems to be about disqualifications only. Not points for speeding. Again I will emphasise only a skim read through. I find reading legal jargon documents about as interesting as watching paint dry. That and the football/superbike is on tv.

Edited to add the following quote from the document so no points don’t matter.




Do courts have to take an Irish endorsement into account if the driver is sentenced in court for another offence committed in the UK?

There is no mutual recognition of penalty points between the jurisdictions, so the UK court cannot add on Irish penalty points, for totting up purposes. However, the court has a wide discretion, in considering whether to impose discretionary disqualifications in the UK, to consider all mitigating or aggravating factors. The court therefore may consider the driver's licence history generally.

Edited by MB140 on Saturday 18th August 14:14

[watchnut]

Hi all,

This was definitely NI, and licence and fine sent to NI court in Belfast.

I am still not complaining......did the crime paid the fine, and now can rest easier, but now paranoid about approaching red lights!

[DuncsGTi]

theworx said:

watchnut said:

Therefore I view it that I do not have to declare this as points do not count in mainland UK. But if I go to Ireland again will have to take licence counterpart with me. I still have to notify them of change of name or address.

I also understand that they can only go to 9 points in NI before they may loose licence to drive over there....maybe wrong there.

I have gone on dlva website and checked my licence...still clean here

Wonder why NI is different to mainland?

Don't think same would happen to me if I went to Scotland or Wales...weird

Was it Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland? Points gained in the Republic of Ireland don't count in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK, i was under the impression points gained in Northern Ireland did count in the rest of the UK though

And it's 12 points before losing the licence.

Edited by theworx on Friday 17th August 19:29

It may have changed, I've not lived in the province since 2007 but as far as I'm aware, you can have up to 11 points on your "shadow NI counterpart" and 11 on your mainland UK license and still be legal. As soon as you pick up a ban on either, it applies to both.

I never declared my ni points to my UK insurance, iirc it was a 5 digit offense code rather than the standard 4 (sp30, etc)