'Spoiled' images see drivers escape points
Nearly half of all drivers caught on speed cameras during a 15 month period were not prosecuted because the images were spoiled, a report revealed tonight.
The Comptroller and Auditor General’s examination of the penalty points scheme found 47% of over 107,000 speed camera recordings were "spoiled".
Gardaí could not use the spoiled images for prosecutions because they would not stand up in court.
The reasons for the spoiled images, which were taken between October 2002 and December 2003, included dirty or damaged number plates and foreign vehicles.
There were also technical problems with the speed cameras such as dirty or obstructed lenses, poor weather conditions and an inadequate chemical solution to develop the camera films.
The gardaí told the Comptroller the spoil rate had been reduced after most of the technical problems had been addressed. There were around 13,500 spoiled speed camera images for the first five months of this year.
The report found gardaí did not process speed camera offences committed by foreign drivers and made no attempt to establish the identity of the drivers concerned. However, gardaí were able to fine foreign drivers who were caught manually with speed guns.
The Comptroller found drivers of company cars who speed were escaping penalty points because of a loophole in the Traffic Act.
Around 235 drivers were not prosecuted because the points could not be added to their licences since the companies were the registered owners of the vehicles.
The Comptroller said the loophole could be removed by an amendment in a finance bill.
