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Irish
Car Rentals - Driving in Ireland
Welcome
to our Ireland Car Rental and Irish Information page. We
have included here links to our Driving in Ireland pages
which will provide all of the information you need to drive
in Ireland. Below we have itemised some useful information
when renting your car with us and also lower down the page
links to information you may require. We are fully aware of
the importance of your car rental to you. If you are
traveling on business or for pleasure we want to ensure that
you receive the very best service and vehicle possible.
Irish
Car Rentals Driving in Ireland - Road
Safety
We
want you to enjoy your car rental and visit to Ireland as
much as possible. On this page we have detailed some,
perhaps obvious, but necessary Road Safety Information.
Car
Safety
Your
Irish Car Rental's vehicle will be provided to you in good
condition, you, as the driver of the vehicle are responsible
for ensuring that the vehicle, whilst in your care, is
roadworthy and safe. We would suggest checking, Tyres,
Brakes, Vehicle operation, Lights and other essential items
before driving the car. Irish Car Rentals vehicles are
covered by a fully comprehensive AA roadside assistance
cover. Should you experience difficulty or require more
information please contact us immediately. Do Not Drive a
vehicle which may be unsafe.
Drink
Driving
Drink
driving is not tolerated and severe penalties are imposed on
people who have a legal reading of over 80mg per 100ml of
blood. This equates to approximately one Pint of Beer.
Please do not attempt to drive whilst under the influence of
Alcohol.
If
you are arrested at the roadside for drink driving, the
Garda is obliged to inform you in ordinary understandable
language that you are being arrested for the offence of
drink driving. You will be brought to a local Garda Station
where you will be informed of your rights by a member in
charge of the station. These rights include consulting with
a solicitor but should be noted that failure to contact your
solicitor will not excuse you from complying with the
Garda’s request for a sample of blood; urine or breath
specimen.
If you provide a sample of blood or urine the sample will be
divided into two containers in your presence and sealed. You
will then be offered a sample of your choice and the
remaining sample will be sent to the Medical Bureau of Road
Safety for analysis. The results of the test will be posted
to both yourself and to the Garda concerned. You may have
your own sample independently analysed if you wish. If the
alcohol level is shown to be over the legal amount then the
Garda will summons you to appear in the District Court to
answer the charge of drunken driving.
Similarly, if you provide a sample of your breath the
intoxilyser machine will give two immediate print outs of
the level of alcohol in your breath. You will be offered a
choice of either read-out to retain for yourself and the
other will be used by the Garda in court as proof that you
were above the legal limit. Of course, if you are below the
legal limit then that is the end of the matter. If you are
over the legal limit you will be summonsed by the Garda to
appear in court at a later date to answer the charge of
drink driving.
Penalties on conviction for drink driving will vary
depending on the amount of alcohol that has been detected in
your system. Another factor the court will take account of
is whether the offence is your first offence or otherwise.
Remember, all convictions for drink driving carry a mandatory
disqualification from driving.
Baby
and Child Seats
Child
/ Baby Seats are Mandatory in Ireland. Child Seats and Baby
seats are available by prior notification at an additional
cost of EURO 49 per rental. Baby seats are NOT available for
rental for children under 6 months old. NEW EU CHILD SAFETY
PROTECTION LAWS HAVE COME INTO FORCE making it compulsory
for all children to travel in the correct child seat,
booster seat or booster cushion. Notes: Where safety belts
have been fitted they must be worn. Children under 3 years
of age must not travel in a car or goods vehicle unless
restrained in the correct child seat. Children aged 3 years
or over who are under 150cms in height and weighing less
than 36 kilograms (i.e. generally children up to 11/12 years
old) must use the correct child seat, booster seat or
booster cushion when travelling in cars or goods vehicles.
Children over 3 years of age must travel in a rear seat in
vehicles not fitted with safety belts. Rearward-facing child
car seats must NEVER be used in the front passenger seat of
cars with an active airbag. Drivers have a legal
responsibility to ensure passengers aged under 17 use the
correct seat, booster seat, booster cushion or seatbelt.
Information
In
the front seat all children must either be in a child seat
or wear a seat belt. There are no exceptions to this rule.
In the rear seat children less than four years must use an
appropriate child restraint. Children over 4 years must use
an appropriate child restraint, where available, or a seat
belt. Where airbags are fitted the renter should check the
enclosed handbook about special precautions to be taken when
using a child restraint in the front seat. Please ask what
ages the children using the baby seats are and note this in
the comments box of the Booking Form.
Seat
Belts
Unless
exempted, every person in a car is legally obliged to wear a
seat belt where one is fitted. That includes drivers and
front and rear passengers. The driver is responsible for
ensuring that passengers under 17 years of age comply with
the law. Each year in Ireland, many people are hurt,
seriously injured or killed on our roads and much of this
injury and many of the deaths would not occur if drivers and
passengers were adequately restrained by safety belts or
child restraint systems (CRS). There is a legal obligation
to be restrained and this applies to drivers and passengers.
Furthermore, there is an additional onus on drivers to
ensure that persons under 17 are suitably restrained while
they are in charge of the vehicle.Offences carry an
on-the-spot fine of 60 euro. You must pay this fine within
28 days, or face an increased fine of 90 euro payable within
56 days of the offence. Two penalty points will be added to
your licence if you opt not to go to court. If you are
convicted in court for not wearing a seatbelt, four penalty
points will be added to your licence and you will be liable
to an 800 euro fine for a first offence.
More
information about Road signs is available from the official
Road Safety Website here:
On
these pages we have detailed a quick guide for you to help
you get acquainted before you arrive, please use the quick
links on the left or scroll down the page for more
information.
Safety
is our priority - please make it your priority also.
Irish
Car Rentals will make every effort to assist you in having a
pleasant and safe driving experience. It is our priority to
provide safe road worthy vehicles for your stay in Ireland.
We ask all our clients to drive carefully on our roads which
are very often narrow. The number of cars has increased on
Irish roads in the last few years and it is now more
important than ever that all drivers abide by the rules of
the road and take great care when driving.
PLEASE
NOTE:
The
information given on our website is provided "as
is". Irish Car Rentals do not accept responsibility of
ensuring the information provided is up to date or forms the
basis of any agreement or is of a nature that can be used to
verify any legal issue. Irish Car Rentals are not liable for
any issue arising from the information contained in our
website pages. The only agreement in force will be the
rental agreement signed by the renter on collection of a
vehicle. You accept these terms if you select to view or use
the information provided on our website pages.
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