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ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1974 - SECT 56

56 .         Duty to report incidents involving bodily harm or damage to property

        (1)         If a vehicle driven by a person (the driver ) is involved in an incident occasioning bodily harm to another person, the driver must report the incident forthwith to the officer in charge of a police station.

        (2)         If a person contravenes subsection (1) and the incident occasioned death or grievous bodily harm, the person commits a crime.

        Penalty: imprisonment for 10 years and in any event the court convicting the person must order that the offender is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for a period of not less than 12 months.

        Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 12 months and in any event the court convicting the person must order that the offender is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for a period of not less than 12 months.

        (3)         If a person contravenes subsection (1) and the incident did not occasion death or grievous bodily harm, the person commits an offence.

        Penalty: imprisonment for 12 months and in any event the court convicting the person must order that the offender is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for a period of not less than 12 months.

        (4)         If a vehicle driven by a person (the driver ) is involved in an incident in which any property is damaged the driver must report the incident forthwith to the officer in charge of a police station.

        Penalty:

            (a)         for a first offence, a fine of 8 PU;

            (b)         for a subsequent offence, a fine of 16 PU.

        (5)         It is a defence to a charge of an offence under subsection (2), (3) or (4) for the accused to prove that —

            (a)         the accused could not comply with a requirement in the relevant provision because of an injury suffered by the accused in the incident; or

            (b)         a member of the Police Force attended at the scene of the incident and took the necessary particulars of the incident.

        (6)         It is a defence to a charge of an offence under subsection (4) for the accused to prove —

            (a)         that the accused had reasonable cause for believing that the total value of the damage did not exceed the amount prescribed for the purposes of this subsection; and

            (b)         that the owner, in each case, of any property damaged was present or represented at the place where and at the time when, or immediately after, the incident occurred.

        [Section 56 inserted by No. 39 of 2007 s. 20.]

        [Section 56. Modifications to be applied in order to give effect to Cross-border Justice Act 2008: section altered 1 Nov 2009. See endnote 1M.]



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