Car clocking to be a criminal offence

Leo Varadkar, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has proposed an amendment to the Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013 to make it an offence to tamper with an odometer of a motor vehicle.

Car clockers use this technique to falsely inflate used car values.

ADVERTISEMENT

Car clocking involves the dishonest practice of winding the odometer reading on a car backwards. Under current legislation the practice of clocking is not an offence.

The National Consumer Agency (NCA) has successfully prosecuted a number motor dealers in recent times under the consumer protection legislation for engaging in ‘misleading practices’.

However, prosecutions have been difficult to achieve and sanctions have been minimal.