Wicklow and Kildare have both featured in the top 10 counties in Ireland for the proportion of motorists holding active penalty points.
The latest figures from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Central Statistics Office (CSO), analysed by car insurance provider Quote Devil, show that 15.58% of licensed drivers in Wicklow have penalty points on their records.
That puts the county in eighth place nationally, with 18,263 drivers currently holding active points.
Kildare ranks ninth, with 15.09% of licensed drivers affected. A total of 27,890 motorists in the county currently have penalty points.
More than 513,000 drivers across Ireland have active penalty points, representing 14.07% of all licensed motorists.
Wexford tops the national rankings, with 21.43% of drivers holding points, followed by Carlow at 19.31% and Waterford at 17.81%.
The full top 10 is:
Speeding is the most common offence resulting in penalty points nationwide, followed by using a mobile phone while driving.
Quote Devil's Director of Sales, Ian O'Reilly, said motorists can underestimate how quickly points can build up through everyday driving offences.
He also warned that having penalty points or a motoring conviction can make finding affordable car insurance more difficult.
Drivers who accumulate 12 penalty points within a three-year period face an automatic six-month driving ban. Learner and novice drivers face disqualification after reaching seven points.
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With road deaths continuing to be a serious concern, Radio Nova is putting its platform behind a nationwide road safety initiative aimed at improving awareness and helping people stay safer on Irish roads.
The station is joining 20 other independent radio stations in the campaign, which will see broadcasters create and air their own road safety content over the coming year.
Together, the 21 stations will broadcast more than 1,200 pieces of content, including more than 100 documentary and discussion programmes and around 1,100 shorter feature episodes.
For Radio Nova, the programming will include practical road safety information, expert interviews and real-life experiences, with content developed specifically for its audience across Dublin and the surrounding counties.
The campaign will also feature first-hand accounts from people who attend road collisions and support those affected, alongside information and analysis from An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority and local authorities.
Radio Nova will also highlight the experiences of people directly affected by road collisions, helping bring home the consequences of dangerous driving and the importance of making responsible choices on every journey.
The project is supported by the News Reporting Scheme, which helps fund public interest journalism through Coimisiún na Meán and the Exchequer.
Listeners can find Radio Nova's road safety features and programmes on the station's website.
