More than 1,000 drivers have received penalty points since the end of August for not wearing seat belts, figures released today show.
Penalty points for the offence were introduced by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, on August 25th. Some 1,128 penalty point notices have issued to drivers found to be driving without wearing a seat belt, statistics show.
A further 81 notices were issued to drivers found to be carrying passengers under age 17 who were not wearing a seat belt. Of those, 37 related to offences for the non-wearing of seat belts by front-seat passengers and 44 to the non-wearing of seatbelts by back-seat passengers.
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The Minister also released statistics for the first 13 months of the penalty points system showing more than 82,000 drivers have received penalty points on their driving licences so far. During the period from November 1st 2002 and December 1st 2003, there was a reduction of 70 in the number of road deaths based on the corresponding previous period.
Mr Brennan said, following talks with the Minister for Justice and the Garda, penalty points would be extended to include the offences of careless driving and dangerous overtaking early next year. He said further offences would be added when a long-awaited computerised system is up and running in the second half of next year.
"I am disappointed and shocked by the number of drivers who fail to use or who do not insist on their passengers, particularly children, using a seat belt," Mr Brennan said in a statement.
"The non-wearing of seat belts is a major factor in fatal road crashes and, as we have seen so graphically in National Safety Council television adverts, the deaths and injuries can be caused by rear seat passengers who are not wearing seat belts."
A detailed breakdown of the statistics shows that 82,057 drivers have received penalty points notices. Of these, 77,937 drivers have received two points, 3,801 have received four points, including 104 convicted in court. A total of 282 have six points and 33 are now on eight points. Four drivers have 10 points, which is two points short of automatic disqualification.
Mr Brennan said powers by the Garda to breathalyse drivers involved in any road traffic offence or who have been involved in a crash will be extended in 2004. The Minister said full random breath testing will be introduced.
