06 November 2002: Politicians hoping for immediate benefits from the introduction of penalty points here may be disappointed if the experiences in Britain and the North are any indicators.

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 causal factors in the North’s road traffic accidents in Northern Ireland the last year were led by ‘inattention or attention diverted’, followed by ‘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.