REVEALED: Shocking number of Tipperary drivers close to losing license

The 18,846 motorists in Tipperary with 3+ penalty points on their licence could be paying an additional penalty of hundreds of euro in the form of higher motor insurance premiums.

A fact that many motorists simply don’t realise.

This is according to car insurance provider OUTsurance, who report that driving behaviour like speeding and using a mobile phone is not only dangerous, but also has knock-on implications on driver’s pockets – often in the form of higher insurance premiums for those motorists that have points on their licence.

OUTsurance says that analysis of official data for the first half of 2026 shows that in Ireland, 387,028 drivers hold exactly 3 points, representing the vast majority of all penalised drivers.

In Tipperary alone, 14,122 drivers have 3 points, 34 are on 12 points which is the mandatory threshold for disqualification and 37 are on 11 points – just one offence from being put off the road.

Looking further at the number of drivers on certain amounts of penalty points, 32 drivers in Tipperary have one point on their license, 1,308 have two points, 14,122 have three points, 307 have four points, 1,365 have five points, 2,366 have six points, 36 have seven points, 172 have eight points, 331 have nine points, 76 have ten points, 37 have 11 points, and 34 have the maximum 12 points.

Ian Kennedy, Chief Marketing Officer of OUTsurance advised: “The number of penalty points dished out to Irish drivers is up almost 8% - or 40,000 drivers - over the last year.

“We’re trying to draw attention to the need for greater care on Irish roads. The dangers of speeding and mobile phone use are huge, but there are occasions that motorists can lose sight of that once they're behind the wheel. If they know there's an added cost involved too – on top of the penalty point fine - in the form of higher premiums, then maybe that will act as one more deterrent and another reason to think twice before breaking the rules.

“Insurers look at a whole range of factors when they're working out your premium, and penalty points are up there as a significant consideration. And it's not just how many points you've got but the type of offence and what kind of licence you hold matter too. As a general rule of thumb, the more points on your licence, the more you're likely to pay”.