Politicians hoping for immediate benefits from the introduction of penalty points may be disappointed if the experiences in Britain and Northern Ireland are any indicators, writes Brian Byrne
Since the introduction of penalty points in the North in late 1997, the average annual accident rate has increased by 7.3 per cent over the four years 1998-2001.
The numbers killed has also risen on annual average by 7.6 per cent in the same period. The numbers seriously injured in road accidents in the North over the same period also increased, by 5.2 per cent on an annual average over the four-year period.
The principal factors in the North's road accidents during the past year were "inattention or attention diverted" and "emerging from minor road or driveway without due care".
Meanwhile, between 1997-2000, convictions for speeding offences in England and Wales increased by 35 per cent to almost 1.2 million, while those for dangerous, careless or drunken driving decreased by 27 per cent.
However, analysis of road-death figures here shows that, when the increase in total vehicle distance travelled is taken into account, the death rate has almost halved in the past 11 years.
In 1990, there were 1.02 million vehicles travelling Ireland's roads, and 478 people were killed in accidents that year. Last year the number of registered vehicles had climbed to 1.77 million, while the number of people killed was 411.
Taking the AA figure of an annual average mileage of 10,000 miles per private motorist, the rate of road deaths reduced by 49 per cent between 1990 and 2001, from 4.5 deaths per 100 million miles travelled to 2.3 per 100 million miles.