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Five new penalty point offences are being introduced from next month. Three of the new offences carry a sanction of five points, including failing to have an NCT up to date, an offence for which there is currently a fine of €1,500.

Vehicles of four years and older must undergo an NCT test every two years.

Driving a dangerously defective vehicle or driving without a certificate of road worthiness will also incur five penalty points.

There will be a three-point penalty for driving a vehicle without fixing a fault uncovered at the NCT or for drivers of trucks that strike an overhead bridge.

The five new categories will bring to 42 the total number of penalty point offences under the system, which was introduced under the Road Traffic Act in 2002. The new measures have been given the green light by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and will be in effect from the May Bank Holiday weekend.

“Drivers are becoming more aware, fatalities are down but there are still more than 20 people a month dying on the roads. We want to see a further reduction in that number,” he said.

Over 750,000 notices have been issued to motorists under the legislation.

Penalty points: new offences

Five points :

Driving a dangerously defective vehicle.

Driving without a certificate of road worthiness.

Failing to have an up-to-date NCT certificate.

Three points :

Truck drivers who allow their vehicle to strike an overhead bridge.

Driving a vehicle without repairing a fault identified at the NCT.