Motorists insured with Hibernian are this week receiving the first renewal notices to include the promised 10 per cent discount for drivers without penalty points.

The company, one of the largest in the Irish motor market, led the way with the penalty-point initiative last May after Minister for Transport Mr Brennan failed to secure industry agreement on an incentive-based approach to safe driving.

The discounts apply from November 1st next and, with the 15-day advance notice now given to customers, renewal premiums are now dropping through letter boxes.

However, the company will require its Irish customers to provide personal details allowing the insurer to check on their driving record. And policyholders who fail to notify the company or their broker of drivers covered under their policy who have penalty points will face a "special claims excess" of €2,500.

This would leave customers facing liability for the first €2,500 of any claim. And while Hibernian would be obliged to meet third-party costs, it has indicated that it may seek to recover these from people who are subject to the special claims excess.

Accompanying the renewals will be a Driver Number Collection form. Customers looking to retain their penalty point discounts next year and beyond will have to complete these and return them to the company no later than three months before their next renewal date.

The forms will provide Hibernian with the name and date of birth of drivers as on the driving licence, the unique driver number. Customers must also disclose penalty points accumulated by anyone insured under the policy.

The driver number will allow Hibernian access to the National Driver File, which provides confidential details of all drivers, including what point offences, if any, they have incurred.

Motorists can find their driver number on their licence. Where it is placed will depend on when the licence was issued but it will be in black and have up to 10 digits. On licences issued before November 17th, 1999, the number will appear at section #8 on your licence. Licences issued thereafter will have the number at section #5.

The driver number is not the same as the licence number, which appears in red.

Hibernian, which is acting alone in setting predetermined discounts for drivers without penalty points says its strategy is subject to the continuation of the success of penalty points in "driving down the rate of fatalities on our roads, which is still running at 50 per cent higher than the UK".