Nearly 40,000 drivers have incurred penalty points since last November, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday.
Releasing figures for the first nine months of the scheme, he also said the extension of the penalty points system to the non-wearing of seat belts and other offences later this month made the threat of losing a driving licence more of a reality for persistent road offenders
The system would be extended from August 25th to include the non-wearing of seat belts and the fixed-charge fine for the offence had been increased from €25 to €60, he said. The system currently covers speeding and driving without insurance.
Mr Brennan said that said since the introduction of the scheme, on November 1st, 2002, road deaths had fallen.
"An assessment of the impact of penalty points on driving behaviour during the first nine months in operation shows that between November 1st, 2002, and July 31st, 2003, the number of road deaths was 252, a drop of 55 on the same period in the preceding 12 months, when 307 lives were lost," he said.
The number of road deaths in July was 33, which was significantly lower than the total of 42 for the same month last year, he added.
The figures showed that a total of 39,663 drivers had received penalty points since November. Of these, 38,591 incurred two penalty points; 1,027 had four points; 41 drivers had six points; three drivers had eight points and one driver had accumulated 10 points.
"The county-by-county breakdown of penalty points indicates that 45 drivers have now accumulated six or more penalty points. The application of points to further offences makes the threat of losing a driving licence more of a reality for drivers who persistently breach road traffic legislation," he warned.
The purpose of the system was not to put people off the roads, it was to ensure a positive change in driver behaviour, he said.
Under the system, drivers who reach 12 points are automatically disqualified from driving for six months. The introducing of penalty points for failure to wear seat-belts meant drivers would be liable for penalty points if they did not wear their seat-belt or if they allowed a person under 17 years of age to travel unrestrained in a vehicle. "Drivers should adopt of a policy of not only wearing their own seat belts, but ensuring that all other occupants are also wearing theirs," he said.
The Minister said the system would apply to 69 offences when it was fully operational. It was internationally recognised that speeding and seat--belt wearing were among the key areas which must be targeted in order to improve road safety performance.
"I am asking road-users to act responsibly both to reduce the level of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, and to ensure that they do not incur a driving disqualification through careless driving behaviour," he said.