Sinn Féin Transport spokesperson Seán Lynch MLA has raised road safety concerns in light of the recent revelation on penalty points.

Responding to news there are currently 43 people driving in the north despite having 12 or more penalty points – including one driver on 21 penalty points – Sean Lynch said:

“By law, a driver who accumulates 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period must be disqualified.

“Currently, if a court is satisfied there are grounds for ‘mitigating the normal consequences of a conviction’, the court may decide not to order a disqualification.

“This will be distressing news to those injured or bereaved by dangerous driving.

“I will be asking the Minister for Infrastructure for clarity on this issue and to outline the conditions which allows drivers with 12 penalty points or more to keep driving.

“Road safety needs to be the priority consideration with regards to the enforcement of the penalty point system.”