3rd June 2011 – Speaking at the beginning of the June bank holiday weekend, the President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)*, Paul Mallee, has called for the doubling of penalty points at bank holiday weekends in order to reduce fatalities on Irish roads.

Mr Mallee said that the eight bank holiday weekends are among the worst periods for road fatalities and that doubling penalty points for serious offences such as speeding and dangerous driving would act as an active deterrent to motorists, thus reducing the number of fatal incidents on our roads.

Mr Mallee commented, “The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport fully supports the campaign by the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Siochana to reduce fatalities on Irish roads. Regrettably, the June bank holiday weekend is a traditional high-risk period when the number of motorists travelling on our roads increases dramatically.

“Accordingly we must look at the best means of actively deterring motorists from committing serious offences and, instead, promote care, caution and responsibility.

“Doubling penalty points during bank holiday weekends is one such measure. This scheme already exists in parts of Australia for speeding and drink driving. One additional point is awarded for all other offences. By general consensus the scheme has worked well in those Australian states where it has been introduced, and others are now considering doing likewise.

“While this proposal has been previously mooted in Ireland, it has never received serious consideration. Although road deaths have reduced in recent years, there is a duty on all transport groups to advocate ways of improving road safety in this country.

“Therefore, I am calling on the Government and the Minister for Transport in particular to introduce a simple piece of legislation that could be enacted with the agreement of all parties in the Dail prior to the summer recess and before the next bank holiday this year at the end of July/beginning of August.”