IT WILL be several years before penalty points are recognised between Ireland and Britain. The British government has confirmed that any move to recognise Irish penalty points there would require new primary legislation, writes Daniel Attwood.
Before that process begins, the British Department for Transport (DfT) said it would monitor how the recently agreed system between the Irish, British and Northern Irish governments whereby drivers disqualified from driving in one jurisdiction will be banned from driving in the others, works in practice.
The agreement applies only to drivers who receive an immediate ban for serious driving offences, such as reckless or dangerous driving, hit-and-run and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It does not apply to disqualifications under the "totting up" of penalty points, which means many Irish drivers disqualified because they have more than 12 points will still be able to drive in Britain.
It is to close this loophole that the authorities in each country are now working towards. But, as a spokesman for the DfT said, it is going to be a long process.
Currently, only a European convention on driving disqualifications can be used, but this makes no provision for the recognition of penalty points.
The penalty points systems in Britain and Ireland differ considerably. For example, in Britain speeding drivers will receive a minimum of three penalty points if caught. In Ireland, they receive only two. It is these inconsistencies that need resolving before any mutual recognition system can be put in place.