Cartell.ie, Ireland’s car history checking company, submitted a proposal to the Transport Committee, along with a complete Bill, which it drafted, recommending the criminalisation of vehicle clocking, and related matters.

The Bills office has accepted the proposals on vehicle clocking for discussion at the Committee stage of the Road Traffic Bill in June 2010. The bill contains three elements aimed at combating clocking namely;

It will be an offence to tamper with an odometer either knowingly or recklessly.
It will be an offence to sell a clocked vehicle (privately or through a garage).

It is further proposed that a mileage certificate is issued with a vehicle being sold to verify its authenticity and it shall be an offence to falsify such.

Cartell.ie says that over the past four years it has proven that clocking is rampant. A clocked car can be dangerous and potentially life threatening.

At present, the Gardai do not have sufficient powers to prosecute offenders. The National Consumer Agency pursued a few individuals for clocking and managed to get an “undertaking” from the offender that they would not clock again. According to Cartell, the way in which the Data Protection Act is being interpreted has meant Government agencies have not assisted in developing the necessary mileage databases required to combat clocking.

It is proposed that the penalty for vehicle clocking would be a fine of up to €5,000 or up to three months imprisonment on summary conviction or up to €10,000 and up to two years imprisonment on conviction on indictment.