Seanad debates
Wednesday, 14 May 2003
Road Safety: Motion.
In the absence of the industry doing that deal, I propose to proceed to make such an arrangement with individual companies. Insurance companies require data relating to the numbers and names of those with penalty points. I am prepared to make this data available but only on the strict understanding that if a person does not have penalty points, he or she will get a cut in his or her insurance premium. I am not trying to reduce insurance costs out of a wish to be populist but because one of the main deterrents to speeding and penalty points is the certainty that not only will people lose their licences but that their insurance premium will increase. I have a family in their twenties and they are paying €2,000, €2,500 or €3,000 for motor car insurance. A 10% reduction would be a fantastic attraction. They would slow down and be twice as careful if they got such a cut in their premium. By slowing down, they would save their lives and perhaps someone else's also.
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