A third of drivers have never been stopped by a Garda for any reason, according to a new study from AA Ireland.
The poll of 11,000 motorists reveals that 42 per cent of drivers have never had to show their driving licence to a Garda for any reason.
Females were more likely than males to report they had never been stopped - which the AA said was likely due to the fact that men tend to be higher mileage drivers.
“It is shocking that over 40 per cent of drivers have never needed to produce their driving licence. We go to so much trouble to get a licence, and we are always told what an important document it is," said AA director of policy Conor Faughnan.
The survey found although there has only been a small number of motorists stopped by a garda, there has been a rise in the numbers of motorists asked to take a breathalyser test, with a quarter of all drivers saying they have been breathalysed recently.
The research also offers evidence that motorists who received warnings from officials are more likely to moderate their driving behaviour.
Nearly 17 per cent of drivers have penalty points on their record, although the numbers of motorists with multiple points is extremely small, the survey found.
According to the Road Safety Authority, only 162 drivers out of a licensed population of 2.6 million people are actually off the road at the moment due to having more than 12 points.
AA's survey indicates about 50 per cent of motorists who receive penalty points believe the circumstances in which they received them were unfair.
The AA said it received nearly 400 individual comments by respondents about penalty points, most of which show that motorists are generally cynical about penalty points and often believe they are merely a source of revenue rather than a road safety measure.
“Unfairness may be in the eye of the beholder, but this is still a concern.” said Mr Faughnan.“We cannot have a motoring population that is too cynical about road safety enforcement. and it is clear that there is a big communication challenge for the Garda and the Government in advance of the introduction of speed cameras, planned for later this year.”
Poorly set speed limits were considered to be the biggest reason why people believed they had been hit with penalty points. However, others complained of roadworks, unclear signs catching motorists out and hidden Garda checkpoints as alternative reasons why they had received points.
