More than 24,000 Kildare motorists face higher motor insurance costs

24,375 motorists in Kildare 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 say 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 Kildare alone, 18,393 drivers have 3 points, 53 are on 12 points which is the mandatory threshold for disqualification and 43 are on 11 points – just one offence from being put off the road.

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.”