Drivers use poor box to escape points

More than 1,000 drivers have avoided a conviction and penalty points on their driving licence so far this year because they made a donation to a court poor box.

The Department of Justice confirmed that, up to the end of August, 1,049 people avoided a conviction under the Road Traffic Act which would have seen their licence endorsed, because they made the poor box payment, which is usually donated to charity.

According to the Courts Service Criminal Case Tracking System, the number of defendants who have been before the court for offences under the Road Traffic Act, and who have received no criminal conviction after payments to the poor box, is 2,836.