Covid-19 leads to drop in driving bans and penalty points handed out

These new figures confirm there has been a significant reduction in driver disqualifications and penalty point notices issued this year, due to the pandemic. File picture

The number of people who have been disqualified from driving has decreased by 39% this year.

According to Freedom of Information figures, there has also been a 13% drop in the amount of penalty points handed out.

These new figures confirm there has been a significant reduction in driver disqualifications and penalty point notices issued this year, due to the pandemic.

In the first seven months of 2019, 8,049 people were disqualified from driving.

The figures for this year are down by 39% to 4,877 between January and July.

Court activity was scaled back during the height of the pandemic.

There has also been a big reduction in the amount of penalty point notices issued by the gardaí during the same time frame.

They fell from just over 117,000 to just over 101,000.

The number of drivers who got penalty points for driving with a mobile phone fell by a third during the same period.