Penalty points surge: more than half a million drivers flagged across Ireland

Recent figures from the department of justice showed a total of 59,603 people were caught by gardaí driving while using their phones between 2022 and 2024. File picture

There are currently more than half a million drivers with penalty points on their licence of whom 866 have 12 points, meaning they are each subject to an automatic six-month ban.

There are a total of 512,791 drivers with penalty points currently on their licence across the State as of the end of April 2025, according to the most recent monthly report from the Road Safety Authority.