A new analysis has revealed that having three penalty points on your driving license in Ireland could increase your motor insurance premium by 10 per cent, RTE reported.
Nearly half a million drivers across the country are paying significantly more for insurance, with some facing additional costs of over €1,000 due to poor driving habits, according to data from Peopl Insurance.
The analysis highlights that a driver with ten penalty points could be paying more than double the amount for insurance compared to someone with a clean record.
With road fatalities currently almost 20 per cent higher than at this time last year, Peopl Insurance is urging drivers to adopt safer driving habits to protect themselves and save money.
Over half a million people in Ireland have penalty points on their license, with 492,244 drivers holding three points or more.
Paul Walsh, a spokesperson for Peopl Insurance, explained that insurance companies typically raise premiums for drivers with three or more penalty points, although this threshold can vary between providers.
“Many drivers don’t realise how easily they can accrue three points,” Walsh noted while adding that the most common offences leading to penalty points include speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, failing to obey traffic lights, driving without reasonable consideration, and driving as an unaccompanied learner or without a valid NCT.