‘Drivers need clarity on penalty points’

KERRY Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil has said there’s much confusion amongst constituents about when to report penalty points to insurers, a matter he has described as ‘very serious.’

Deputy Brassil was calling for clarity from the Irish insurance industry on the issue, claiming most drivers assume they only need to inform their insurers about penalty points when renewing their insurance policies.

“Some insurers expect policy holders to inform their company as soon as they’ve received points,” the Deputy said.

“This will be news to a lot of motorists, unless they have read, in detail, the fine print of their policies

“If insurers aren’t informed, policies may become null and void, leaving the policy holders in a very precarious situation.”

Deputy Brassil said the issue is causing headaches for drivers all around the county, some of whom are unsure if their policies are valid.

“Constituents are coming to me with queries and they’re deeply concerned about their insurance policies,” the Fianna Fáil TD said.

“Drivers need clarity on what they need to do. The impact of potentially thousands of uninsured drivers on our roads could be incredibly serious,” he said.

The Deputy has called on the insurance industry to ensure that an awareness campaign is rolled out, in a bid to educate and inform policy holders on the issue.