Road Traffic Act 1961

• Enactment Date: 29 July 1961
• Act Number: 24

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Number 24 of 1961

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ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1961

REVISED

Updated to 27 October 2022

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This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Road Traffic Act 1961. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.

All Acts up to and including the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022 (33/2022), enacted 24 October 2022, and all statutory instruments up to and including the Road Traffic Act 2010 (Part 3) (Fixed Charge Offences) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 526 of 2022), made 19 October 2022, were considered in the preparation of this revision.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to

revisedacts@lawreform.ie.

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Number 24 of 1961

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ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1961

REVISED

Updated to 27 October 2022

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Introduction

This Revised Act presents the text of the Act as it has been amended since enactment, and preserves the format in which it was passed.

Related legislation

Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2022: this Act is one of a group of Acts included in this collective citation, to be read together as one (Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (19/2022), s. 1(2)). The Acts in the group are:

• Road Traffic Act 1961 (24/1961)

• Road Traffic Act 1968 (25/1968)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1973 (15/1973) (repealed)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1978 (19/1978) (repealed)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1984 (16/1984)

• Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act 1987 (34/1987), insofar as it amends the Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 1984

• Road Traffic Act 1994 (7/1994)

• Road Traffic Act 1995 (7/1995) (repealed)

• Road Traffic Act 2002 (12/2002)

• Road Traffic Act 2003 (37/2003) (repealed)

• Road Traffic Act 2004 (44/2004), other than Part 6

• Railway Safety Act 2005 (31/2005), Part 17

• Road Traffic Act 2006 (23/2006), other than s. 21

• Road Traffic and Transport Act 2006 (28/2006), s. 1 (repealed)

• Roads Act 2007 (34/2007), s. 12

• Road Traffic Act 2010 (25/2010)

• Road Traffic Act 2011 (7/2011)

• Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011 (28/2011)

• Taxi Regulation Act 2013 (37/2013), Part 11 (citation only)

• Road Traffic Act 2014 (3/2014)

• Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2014 (39/2014)

• Vehicle Clamping Act 2015 (13/2015), Part 5 (citation only)

• Public Transport Act 2016 (3/2016), s. 8

• Road Traffic Act 2016 (21/2016) (citation only)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 (18/2018)

• Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (19/2022), Part 7 (ss. 46, 47)

Weights and Measures Acts 1878 to 1961: this Act is one of a group of Acts previously included in this collective citation, to be construed together as one (Road Traffic Act 1961 (24/1961), s. 83(6)). The provisions of this Act (s. 83) and other legislation included in the collective citation were repealed (12.05.1997) by Metrology Act 1996 (27/1996), s. 6(1) and sch. 1 part 1, S.I. No. 177 of 1997.

Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Acts 1975 and 1987: this Act deals with similar subject matter to a group of Acts included in this collective citation (Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act 1987, s. 15(4)). The Acts in the group are:

• Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act 1975 (14/1975)

• Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act 1987 (34/1987), in so far as it amends the Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act 1975

Annotations

This Revised Act is annotated and includes textual and non-textual amendments, statutory instruments made pursuant to the Act and previous affecting provisions.

An explanation of how to read annotations is available at

www.lawreform.ie/annotations.

Material not updated in this revision

Where other legislation is amended by this Act, those amendments may have been superseded by other amendments in other legislation, or the amended legislation may have been repealed or revoked. This information is not represented in this revision but will be reflected in a revision of the amended legislation if one is available.

Where legislation or a fragment of legislation is referred to in annotations, changes to this legislation or fragment may not be reflected in this revision but will be reflected in a revision of the legislation referred to if one is available.

A list of legislative changes to any Act, and to statutory instruments from 1972, may be found linked from the page of the Act or statutory instrument at

www.irishstatutebook.ie.

Acts which affect or previously affected this revision

• Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (19/2022)

• Garda Síochána (Functions and Operational Areas) Act 2022 (7/2022)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 (18/2018)

• Road Traffic Act 2016 (21/2016)

• Public Transport Act 2016 (3/2016)

• Vehicle Clamping Act 2015 (13/2015)

• Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2014 (39/2014)

• Freedom of Information Act 2014 (30/2014)

• Road Traffic Act 2014 (3/2014)

• Local Government Reform Act 2014 (1/2014)

• Taxi Regulation Act 2013 (37/2013)

• Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012 (16/2012)

• Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011 (28/2011)

• Road Traffic Act 2011 (7/2011)

• Road Traffic Act 2010 (25/2010)

• Fines Act 2010 (8/2010)

• Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (24/2010)

• Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Act 2010 (2/2010)

• Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 (37/2009)

• Roads Act 2007 (34/2007)

• Water Services Act 2007 (30/2007)

• Criminal Justice Act 2007 (29/2007)

• Medical Practitioners Act 2007 (25/2007)

• Road Traffic and Transport Act 2006 (28/2006)

• Criminal Justice Act 2006 (26/2006)

• Road Traffic Act 2006 (23/2006)

• Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (14/2006)

• Railway Safety Act 2005 (31/2005)

• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (10/2005)

• Road Traffic Act 2004 (44/2004)

• Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 (33/2004)

• Civil Registration Act 2004 (3/2004)

• Road Traffic Act 2003 (37/2003)

• Taxi Regulation Act 2003 (25/2003)

• Communications Regulation Act 2002 (20/2002)

• Road Traffic Act 2002 (12/2002)

• Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (55/2001)

• Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 (50/2001)

• Local Government Act 2001 (37/2001)

• Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licenses) Act 2001 (22/2001)

• Planning and Development Act 2000 (30/2000)

• Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000 (29/2000)

• Road Transport Act 1999 (15/1999)

• Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act 1998 (24/1998)

• Bail Act 1997 (16/1997)

• Freedom of Information Act 1997 (13/1997)

• Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 (4/1997)

• Waste Management Act 1996 (10/1996)

• Road Traffic Act 1995 (7/1995)

• Road Traffic Act 1994 (7/1994)

• Roads Act 1993 (14/1993)

• Finance Act 1993 (13/1993)

• Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act 1987 (34/1987)

• Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission Act 1986 (30/1986)

• Dublin Transport Authority Act 1986 (15/1986)

• Canals Act 1986 (3/1986)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1984 (16/1984)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1978 (19/1978)

• Criminal Law Act 1976 (32/1976)

• Finance Act 1976 (16/1976)

• Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act 1975 (14/1975)

• Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 1973 (15/1973)

• Dangerous Substances Act 1972 (10/1972)

• Road Traffic Act 1968 (25/1968)

• Firearms Act 1964 (1/1964)

• Civil Liability Act 1961 (41/1961)

• Weights and Measures Act 1936 (8/1936)

• Weights and Measures Act 1928 (3/1928)

All Acts up to and including Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022 (33/2022), enacted 24 October 2022, were considered in the preparation of this revision.

Statutory instruments which affect or previously affected this revision

• Road Traffic Act 2010 (Part 3) (Fixed Charge Offences) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 526 of 2022)

• Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act 1975 (Fixed Charge Offences) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 525 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 516 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences Held by Relevant Persons) (Ukraine) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 434 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences) (Ukraine) (Revocation) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 391 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 193 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences) (Ukraine) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 192 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Prescribed Charge – Removal of Clamp) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 54 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 53 of 2022)

• Road Traffic (Recognition of Foreign Driving Licences) (New Brunswick) Order 2021 (S.I. No. 615 of 2021)

• Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 303 of 2021)

• Road Traffic (National Car Test) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 289 of 2021)

• Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 7 of 2021)

• Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 11)...