Penalty points for insurance offences from today

Motorists driving without insurance face penalty points being applied to their licences from today.

Motorists driving without insurance face penalty points being applied to their licences from today.

Under an extension of the penalty points scheme anybody caught without adequate insurance will incur five points.

If a driver acquires 12 points in three years they are automatically disqualified for six months.

The offence was added to the list after the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, last week revealed that around 80,000 people in the State are thought to be driving Ireland without insurance.

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Penalty points were introduced in November but until today they only applied to speeding. Next month the scheme will be extended to target those who do not wear seatbelts.

Around 23,000 drivers have received the points since the scheme began.

The beginning of the insurance crackdown coincides with a nationwide campaign to catch dangerous drivers during the bank holiday weekend.

Gardaí are focussing on speeding, drink driving and the wearing of seatbelts during the crackdown, which lasts until midnight tomorrow.

The Garda says 5,000 checkpoints will be in operation.

PA