Nearly 100,000 Irish drivers caught with penalty points

More than 93,000 drivers have fallen foul of the penalty points system in the last fourteen months.

Of those drivers caught for breaching road rules, 439 of them have accumulated six points or more and four drivers currently have ten points, just two short of automatic disqualification.

Most of the penalty points so far are for speeding, however more than two thousand drivers incurred points for seat belt offences, including 177 who did not have children properly restrained in their vehicles.

Since the introduction of penalty points for drivers on October 31, 2002 there have been 68 fewer deaths than during the corresponding period in the previous 14 months. In 2003 the number of road accident fatalities, at 342, was the lowest number of road deaths on record since 1965.

The campaign to make our roads safer will be intensified in 2004 through the introduction of a number of additional safety initiatives including:

The introduction of full random breath testing for drink driving.

The extension of the penalty points system to include additional offences, including careless driving, dangerous overtaking and using a hand held mobile phone.

Reform of the Provisional License system and measures to address the unacceptably high level of motorcycle deaths and injuries.

The introduction of speed cameras countrywide and the implementing of new speed limits.

Publication of a new three year Road Safety Strategy that will set out specific targets that are to be achieved.

Establishment of a Driver Testing and Standards Authority.