Fines for 16 road safety offences are to double from tomorrow.
The change will see the fine for speeding increase from €80 to €160, while the penalty for mobile phone use, non-wearing of seatbelts and failing to ensure that a child is properly restrained will double from €60 to €120.
For learner drivers who drive unaccompanied, the fine will double to €160. Fines for learner novice drivers who are not displaying 'L' or 'N' plates will double to €120. The same applies for tabards in the case of motorcyclists.
Fines will also be doubled for other offences that put the safety of vulnerable road users at risk.
The changes, which were first announced during the summer, come into effect from midnight.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton has announced that three new fixed charge notices will come into force in 2023.
These notices relate to the misuse of a disabled parking permit, illegally parking in an electric charging bay, breaching a HGV ban and entering a specified a public road without a valid permit.
Speaking at the Road Safety Authority's annual conference in Croke Park, Ms Naughton said: "As of today there have been 123 people killed on the road, an increase of 11 on this day last year, and compared to 2019.
"In response to the increase in road deaths this year, this summer I announced that I was bringing forward the implementation of Action 30 in the Road Safety Strategy to review the penalties for serious road traffic offences and said that I intended to increase the fines for those offences that significantly contribute to road deaths.
"Last week I signed the necessary regulations, which will double the fixed charge penalty for a total of 16 high-risk driving offences including speeding, use of a mobile phone while driving, failure to wear a seatbelt or use an appropriate child restraint, and unaccompanied learner driving. This increase will come into effect after midnight tonight.
"These fines have not increased since they were introduced, in some cases almost 20 years ago. Increasing fines for road offences will act as a stronger deterrent to those who choose to break our lifesaving rules of the road."
Liz O'Donnell, Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority, said the increase in fines was not about making money but saving lives.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, she said that the focus of the conference had been speeding. She added that this was the first fine increase in 20 years and was overdue as people had become blasé about breaking speed limits.
She said that road traffic fatalities were up since the pandemic and Ireland was back to where it was pre-Covid in terms of people using the roads, speeding and drink-driving.
