Road Traffic Act 2010

79

Duty to give information on demand by member of Garda Síochána.

79.— The following section is substituted for section 107 of the Principal Act:

“107.— (1) Where a member of the Garda Síochána alleges to a person using a mechanically propelled vehicle that the member suspects that such person has committed a specified offence under this Act, the member may demand of such person his or her name and address and date of birth and may, if such person refuses or fails to give his or her name and address or date of birth or gives a name or address or date of birth which the member has reasonable grounds for believing to be false or misleading, arrest such person without warrant.

(2) Where a member of the Garda Síochána has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under this Act has been committed and that the vehicle in relation to which the offence was committed does not carry its identification mark under the Roads Act 1920, section 131(5) of the Finance Act 1992 or any other enactment, the member may arrest without warrant the person whom he or she has reasonable grounds for believing was using the vehicle when the offence was so believed to have been committed.

(3) Where a person, when his or her name and address or date of birth is demanded of him or her under this section, refuses or fails to give his or her name and address or date of birth or gives a name or address or date of birth which is false or misleading, such person commits an offence.

(4) Where a member of the Garda Síochána has reasonable grounds for believing that there has been an offence under this Act involving the use of a mechanically propelled vehicle—

(a) the owner of the vehicle shall, if required by the member, state whether he or she was or was not actually using the vehicle at the material time and, if he or she fails to do so, commits an offence,

(b) if the owner of the vehicle states that he or she was not actually using it at the material time, he or she shall give such information as he or she may be required by the member to give as to the identity of the person who was actually using it at that time and, if he or she fails to do so, commits an offence unless he or she shows to the satisfaction of the court that he or she did not know and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained who that person was, or

(c) any person other than the owner of the vehicle shall, if required by the member, give any information which it is in his or her power to give and which may lead to the identification of the person who was actually using the vehicle at the material time and, if he or she fails to do so, commits an offence.

(5) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €2,000.”.