Crackdown may alienate public

BEYOND any shadow of doubt, the penalty points system has been a success, dramatically reducing carnage on Ireland’s roads.

The behaviour of motorists was transformed overnight. Nothing, it seems, concentrates the mind of a driver more than the threat of losing his or her licence.

While more than 1,000 drivers have had their licenses endorsed under the system, most people are driving more carefully and generally observing speed limits.