Road signs to stress penalties

The Government is to embark on a major road safety campaign in the coming weeks to warn motorists that they run the risk of losing their licence if they collect penalty points.

The Department of Transport is to replace 500 road signs across the State which list the number of people killed on the roads with what it sees as more effective warnings over penalty points.

The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said the move was prompted by evidence that penalty points have changed driver behaviour rather than standard road safety warnings.

The number of fatalities on Irish roads has fallen by 32 per cent since penalty points were introduced last November.

In the last six months, 143 people have lost their lives on the roads, compared with 211 in the same period 12 months earlier.

"Penalty points are a worry for drivers because they are personal. Fines alone aren't that much of a deterrent, but someone can lose their licence if they collect enough penalty points. We're already seeing this starting to bite with a reduction in the number of people killed on the roads," Mr Brennan said.

Latest figures indicate that around 20,000 people have collected penalty points since the system was introduced six months ago.

Two new offences are due to be added to the list of penalty point offences in the next two months. From June 1st, driving without insurance will incur five points. From July 1st, not wearing a seat belt will also be included in the system, with drivers liable to between two and four points.

Figures show that some 254 motorists have been caught speeding more than once, 245 have been caught twice, eight have been caught three times and one motorist has already been caught four times.

Dublin tops the list with 4,867 motorists caught speeding. Cork is the next highest (1,930), followed by Kildare (738), Wexford (595) and Galway (590).

It is expected that seven more offences will be added in the coming months, all of which must go to court. They are using a vehicle without a test certificate (five points on conviction); driving a vehicle before remedying a dangerous defect (three); driving a vehicle while unfit (three); careless driving (five); driving a dangerously defective vehicle (five); parking a vehicle in dangerous position (five); and breach of duties on occurrence of accident (five).

Talks are also ongoing between the Department of Transport and insurance companies on how to reward drivers who do not collect penalty points.

The Minister has said he wants a reduction in law-abiding drivers' premiums of between 10 per cent and 15 per cent. Insurance companies, however, are resisting the move.