Derry and Strabane's male drivers committed 83% more motoring offences than women in 2024

CompareNI.com examined the very latest PSNI figures on motoring offences across Northern Ireland in terms of gender.

In Derry, there were 1,651 motoring offences in 2024 – 1374 or 83% of them committed by men and 277 committed by women between between December 1, 2023 and November 30, 2024

This is an increase from 2023, when there were 1191 offences – 972 committed by men and 219 by women.

Across Northern Ireland, the figures showed that 28,388 males (82%) committed motoring offences compared to just 6,293 females during the same period.

The biggest offence by male drivers was driving without insurance, with 4,853 offences, while for women the biggest offence was speeding, with 1,324 offences.

Following a Freedom of Information request, CompareNI looked at each region across Northern Ireland in terms of offences by gender.

The council area with most motoring offences was Belfast City with 2,761 offences by men and 541 by women. In second place was Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon with 2,141 offences by men and 477 by women.

Overall, there were 34,758 detections for motoring offences in Northern Ireland, down 17% on the 41,767 detections recorder in the previous 12 months. The largest group overall was insurance offences with 5,875 incidents, which along with speeding (4,840), accounted for almost one third of the total detections.

Only one of the 19 motoring offences showed an increase in detections over the year - breach of signs and signals saw an increase of 9%.

In Northern Ireland there are serious penalties for driving without insurance, including a £5,000 fine, up to six months imprisonment and between six to eight penalty points.

Commenting on the latest figures, Ian Wilson, car insurance expert and Managing Director at CompareNI.com said: “There was a time when many motorists in Northern Ireland were asking insurers why car insurance here was so expensive, fortunately premiums are starting to drop in price.

“Historically, compensation rates in Northern Ireland were higher than the rest of the UK and serious accident statistics, especially amongst young drivers, were particularly high, driving up premiums across the country.

“Now thanks to a slight fall in the cost of claims and repairs and new legislation reducing the volume of whiplash claims, there is hope that insurance premiums will return to a more affordable cost.

“Insurance offences are now the most committed motoring offence across the country. Those caught driving without adequate insurance can face a fine, penalty points, and even disqualification from driving.

“Points on a licence can also mean a rise in insurance costs, between 5 and 25% depending on the number of points, and create issues when trying to get insurance in the future. If drivers have criminal convictions or a history of cancelled or voided insurance, they may struggle to find an insurer to cover them and if they do, it may be expensive.

“There is help at hand and there are savings to be found when it comes to insurance. By reviewing the type of vehicle, where it’s parked overnight, it’s security features and even when to purchase insurance, drivers can help reduce their costs and find a more competitive price.”