Ireland

Two-thirds of speeding motorists in Republic may not have received penalty points

New figures have revealed a significant number of speeding motorists in the Republic have not received penalty points
New figures have revealed a significant number of speeding motorists in the Republic have not received penalty points New figures have revealed a significant number of speeding motorists in the Republic have not received penalty points

TWO-THIRDS of motorists convicted of speeding offences in the Republic may not have received penalty points because they failed to present their licences in court, new figures have claimed.

Road safety campaigners told RTÉ News the data suggested something was "seriously wrong" in the application of the law.

The figures show that over the past two years, more than 12,400 people were convicted of speeding - but just 4,201 of these motorists had their licence recorded for points.

The information was released by the Courts Service to Dublin Bay North TD Tommy Broughan.

Campaigners said it means repeat offenders who should be disqualified remain on the road.

Road victims' group Parc (Promoting Awareness, Responsibility and Care), founded by Susan Gray in 2006 after the death of her husband Steve in a collision in Inishowen, Co Donegal, called for greater scrutiny.

"This shows that nobody is monitoring the situation. The minister is bringing in new speeding laws and he thinks his job is done. The agencies need to work together," she said.

"If penalty points aren't being collated there will be some people who should be off the road and aren't."

The figures also reveal striking differences between counties - with 80 per cent of speeders in Wicklow handing in their licence to the courts compared to just 13 per cent in Kerry.

In Kildare, a total 196 licences were recorded following the conviction of 1,160 motorists, a rate of just 17 per cent.

The written summons sent to drivers advises them of the requirement to present a driving licence to court and the Courts Service said driving licence numbers are also recorded by gardaí at the roadside for offences where the vehicle is stopped.