This publication has been compiled during the COVID-19 crisis. The results contained in this publication reflect some of the impacts of the COVID-19 situation.
74% of all penalty point endorsement notices issued in 2021 were for speeding. See figure 3.1. Of those 33% were issued to female drivers, 58% to male drivers and 9% to drivers where no gender was recorded.
Males incurred nearly twice as many penalty point endorsement notices as females in 2021. Of the 193,585 endorsement notices where gender was recorded, males incurred 128,690 (66%) penalty point endorsement notices while females incurred 64,895 (34%) notices.
| Penalty point endorsement notices by offence type, 2021 | |
| Speeding | 74 |
| Driving avehiclewhileholding amobilephone | 10 |
| Other | 16 |
| Penalty endorsement notices by offence type, 2020 | |
| Speeding | 74 |
| Driving avehiclewhileholding amobilephone | 11 |
| Other | 15 |
| Table 3.1 Key figures for penalty point endorsement notices, 2020 and 2021 | |||
| Number and rate | |||
| Offence type | 2020 | 2021 | % Change 2020-2021 |
| Male | 118,413 | 128,690 | 9% |
| Female | 59,502 | 64,895 | 9% |
| No gender recorded | 20,674 | 22,966 | 11% |
| Total endorsement notices issued | 198,589 | 216,551 | 9% |
| Sources: Department of Transport and Road Safety Authority | |||
| Table 3.2 Number of penalty points1 recorded by county at 31 December 2020 and 2021 | |||
| County | 2020 | 2021 | % Change 2020-2021 |
| Carlow | 8,383 | 7,362 | -12% |
| Cavan | 10,204 | 8,375 | -18% |
| Clare | 17,610 | 14,304 | -19% |
| Cork | 63,525 | 56,977 | -10% |
| Donegal | 14,302 | 13,161 | -8% |
| Dublin | 137,321 | 115,681 | -16% |
| Galway | 34,452 | 28,772 | -16% |
| Kerry | 17,951 | 14,988 | -17% |
| Kildare | 30,058 | 26,269 | -13% |
| Kilkenny | 11,584 | 9,803 | -15% |
| Laois | 11,925 | 10,055 | -16% |
| Leitrim | 3,502 | 3,112 | -11% |
| Limerick | 27,387 | 21,538 | -21% |
| Longford | 6,273 | 5,174 | -18% |
| Louth | 12,383 | 10,812 | -13% |
| Mayo | 16,557 | 14,271 | -14% |
| Meath | 25,374 | 21,600 | -15% |
| Monaghan | 7,322 | 6,322 | -14% |
| Offaly | 10,858 | 10,169 | -6% |
| Roscommon | 8,310 | 7,294 | -12% |
| Sligo | 6,812 | 5,882 | -14% |
| Tipperary | 20,425 | 18,836 | -8% |
| Waterford | 15,766 | 13,184 | -16% |
| Westmeath | 11,356 | 10,647 | -6% |
| Wexford | 24,433 | 19,931 | -18% |
| Wicklow | 22,346 | 19,515 | -13% |
| Foreign licence holders2 | 54,553 | 47,059 | -14% |
| Unknown3 | 809 | 1,126 | 39% |
| Total | 631,781 | 542,219 | -14% |
| Sources: Department of Transport and Road Safety Authority | |||
| 1 Penalty points are recorded on the offender’s driving licence and remain on the licence for a period of three years. | |||
| 2 Drivers who produce a valid foreign licence and have an Irish address. | |||
| 3 Unknown refers to non-resident drivers who pay on the spot penalty fines. | |||
| Table 3.3 Top 20 penalty point endorsement notices issued, 2020 and 2021 | |||||
| Number and rate | |||||
| Offence type | Penalty points on payment | Penalty points on conviction | 2020 | 2021 | % Change 2020-2021 |
| Speeding | 3 | 5 | 146,958 | 161,299 | 10% |
| Driving a vehicle while holding a mobile phone | 3 | 5 | 21,143 | 22,152 | 5% |
| Driving without reasonable consideration | 2 | 4 | 4,500 | 4,809 | 7% |
| Learner driver unaccompanied by a qualified driver | 2 | 4 | 3,068 | 4,047 | 32% |
| Fail to obey traffic lights | 3 | 5 | 3,553 | 3,586 | 1% |
| Use vehicle without NCT certificate | 3 | 5 | 3,878 | 3,519 | -9% |
| No insurance - (user)1 | n/a | 5 | 2,420 | 3,311 | 37% |
| Adult Failing to wear Safety Belt cat. M1 Vehicle | 3 | 5 | 2,468 | 2,054 | -17% |
| Non-Display of L Plate (Learner Driver) | 2 | 4 | 1,284 | 1,716 | 34% |
| Adult Failing to wear Safety Belt cat. N1 Vehicle | 3 | 5 | 942 | 939 | 0% |
| Cross continuous white line/broken white line | 3 | 5 | 846 | 884 | 4% |
| Fail to comply with prohibitory traffic signs | 1 | 3 | 738 | 729 | -1% |
| Dangerous Driving Reduced to Careless Driving | 3 | 5 | 442 | 659 | 49% |
| Adult Failing to wear Safety Belt cat. N3 Vehicle | 3 | 5 | 503 | 639 | 27% |
| Non-Display of N plate (Novice driver) | 2 | 4 | 594 | 585 | -2% |
| Careless Driving1 | n/a | 5 | 465 | 578 | 24% |
| Adult Failing to wear Safety Belt cat. N2 Vehicle | 3 | 5 | 378 | 485 | 28% |
| Driver Fail Restrain Child O/3 in Child Restraint | 3 | 5 | 525 | 453 | -14% |
| Offence relating to Overtaking | 3 | 5 | 383 | 446 | 16% |
| Driver Fail ensure Passenger U/17 wear Safety Belt | 3 | 5 | 414 | 431 | 4% |
| Sources: Department of Transport and Road Safety Authority | |||||
| 1 n/a-Mandatory court offence | |||||
| Table 3.4 Number of penalty point endorsement notices issued by gender, 2015 - 2021 | ||||
| Year | Female | Male | No gender recorded | Total |
| 2015 | 78,450 | 132,467 | 38,682 | 249,599 |
| 2016 | 62,461 | 105,382 | 31,001 | 198,844 |
| 2017 | 56,142 | 102,125 | 30,828 | 189,095 |
| 2018 | 50,460 | 98,993 | 27,639 | 177,092 |
| 2019 | 55,095 | 108,023 | 27,986 | 191,104 |
| 2020 | 59,502 | 118,413 | 20,674 | 198,589 |
| 2021 | 64,895 | 128,690 | 22,966 | 216,551 |
| Source: Department of Transport | ||||
More detailed statistics on Penalty Points can be found under “Data”.
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