Driving Licences: Are Your Staff Close to a Ban?
According to the latest official data, more than 12,000 drivers on Irish roads have nine, 10 or 11 penalty points on their licence. This means that many could reach the 12-point threshold for a driving ban with just one more violation.
In fact, as our analysis below shows, the number of drivers banned in Ireland (1,064) has risen sharply in 2021, with a 31.8% jump in the 12 months from October 2020. There are also almost twice as many drivers in Ireland on nine, 10 or 11 points than in the UK.
Just seven of the 60-plus offences that attract penalty points or a mandatory court visit, account for more than 91% of the 673,900 notices currently issued to drivers. Not surprisingly, speeding is the number one offence by far, resulting in almost seven of every 10 notices handed out.
So, what can businesses do to minimise the significant risks associated with an employee driving with an invalid licence? DriverFocus recommends all employers be aware of the risk and check that each driver has a valid licence, declares their penalty points regularly and in the case of more at-risk staff, ensure that they are closely monitored and coached. Remember too that this basic precaution applies to all employees, whether they drive in company-owned vehicles or their own private cars.
DriverFocus PERMIT offers businesses a secure, easy-to-use, online driver-licence and driver declaration service to help avoid the serious consequences of a driver losing their licence or potentially being involved in a collision with no insurance.
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SOURCES:
CSO - https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-tranom/transportomnibus2020/driverandvehicletesting/
RSA - https://www.rsa.ie/road-safety/statistics/penalty-points
Licence Bureau - https://www.licencebureau.co.uk/nearly-100000-drivers-are-at-risk-of-losing-their-licences-with-just-one-more-offence-potentially-pushing-them-over-the-12-point-threshold-for-a-ban/
RAC Foundation - https://www.racfoundation.org/motoring-faqs/mobility#:~:text=Back%20to%20top-,Q17)%20How%20many%20driving%20licence%20holders%20are%20there%3F,the%20whole%20of%20Great%20Britain