Penalty point offences down 8% in year to date

The number of penalty point offences detected in the first half of 2012 has fallen by more than 8%, leading to fears that enforcement levels may be affected by a reduction in the size of the Garda Traffic Corps.

Figures obtained by the Irish Examiner show that 114,024 penalty point offences were detected in the first six months of this year — down from 124,106 in the corresponding period in 2011. It represents an average decrease of 8.1%.

However, detection rates fell by more than 25% in a third of all city and county divisions. Overall, detection rates fell in 19 of the 29 regions, with Waterford County recording a fall in penalty point offences of almost 47%.