Penalty-points put first driver off the road

A Co Tipperary man has become the first motorist to be disqualified from driving under the penalty points system.

The driver received 12 points on his licence and will be off the road for six months, the Minister for Transport confirmed this morning.

Mr Brennan reported there were now more than 117,000 drivers with penalty points on their records. Almost 770 drivers have accumulated more than six points, and 15 have 10 points, two short of automatic disqualification. More than 96 per cent of the points issued so far relate to speeding.

Speeding in 40 mph zones was most common, accounting for 1,319 penalty point notifications issued. Some 797 of the total were issued to motorists speeding in 30 mph zones, 752 in 50 mph zones, 27 in 60 mph zones and 19 drivers received penalty point notifications for speeding on motorways.

The penalty points system has been operational for 17 months and is to be expanded next month to include new offences of careless driving and dangerous overtaking.

Speeding, non-wearing of seatbelts and driving without insurance are currently punishable under the system, which will eventually contain a list of 69 offences when it is computerised later this year.

The Department of Transport also plans to roll out of privately run speed cameras nationwide and introduce full random breath testing of drivers.

However, the use of mobile phones in cars can not be added to the list of penalty point offences until new legislation is brought forward.

Mr Brennan said this morning some drivers were "gambling with automatic disqualification". He conceded that the number of road deaths this year had risen when compare to the same period last year "when there was an historically low number of fatalities in the immediate aftermath of the introduction of penalty points.

"The penalty points system has made a major contribution to saving lives by reducing deaths and serious injuries on the roads," Mr Brennan added.

"But it requires constant attention and the committed support of the Government, the Garda, the insurance industry and drivers to maintain the momentum."

The Labour Party 's spokeswoman on transport, Ms Roisín Shortall, said the news of the first driver to be put off the road was "no grounds for self-congratulation for Minister Seamus Brennan, given his total failure to extend the small list of driving offences which can incur penalty points."

"It has taken 17 months for the first . . . driver to have their licence suspended. In that time over 420 people have died on Irish roads and there have been countless other serious accidents and injuries caused by dangerous drivers.

"How many of these accidents could have been avoided had the Minister extended the remit of penalty points, thus disqualifying serial road traffic offenders?"

A total of 88 people have died on the State's roads so far this year, compared to 68 for the same period last year. Of the total up to yesterday morning, 37 were drivers, 16 were passengers, 23 pedestrians, eight motorcyclists, and four pedal cyclists.