Road Traffic Act, 1933

Duty to give information or demand of member of the Gárda Síochána.

177.—(1) Where a member of the Gárda Síochána alleges to the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle that such member has cause to suspect that such driver has committed a specified offence under this Act, such member may demand of such driver his name and address and may, if such driver fails or refuses to give his name or address in response to such demand or gives a name or address which is reasonably believed by such member to be false or misleading, arrest such driver without warrant.

(2) Where a member of the Gárda Síochána has reasonable cause for believing that an offence under this Act has been committed and that the vehicle in relation to which such offence was committed does not bear the marks of identification required by law to be borne thereon, such member may arrest without warrant the person whom he has reasonable grounds for believing was driving such vehicle when such offence was so believed to have been committed.

(3) If any person, when his name and address is demanded of him under this section by a member of the Gárda Síochána, fails or refuses to give to such member his name and address or gives to such member a name or an address which is false or misleading, such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section.

(4) Where a member of the Gárda Síochána alleges to the owner of a mechanically propelled vehicle that an offence under this Act has been committed in relation to such vehicle by a person other than such owner, it shall be the duty of such owner to give to such member all such information in his possession or procurement as shall be demanded of him by such member for the purpose of the identification or the apprehension of the person by whom such alleged offence was committed, and if such owner fails or refuses to give to such member such information or gives any such information which is to his knowledge false or misleading such owner shall be guilty of an offence under this section.

(5) Every person who is summarily convicted of an offence under this section shall be liable, in the case of a first offence, to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds or, in the case of a second or any subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.