Motoring offences fall by more than half since 2011
Date published:
New official accredited statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) present information on motoring offence detections in Northern Ireland for 2025.
Key findings
- In 2025, there were 37,120 motoring offences detected, an increase of 283 offences (1%) on the 36,837 detections recorded in 2024 - marking the first year-on-year increase since 2018.
- Despite this recent upturn, motoring offence detections have more than halved over the past 15 years, falling from 79,796 in 2011 to 37,120 in 2025.
- Over three-fifths of all offences detected (63%) resulted in a referral for prosecution, while a further 20% were dealt with by endorsable fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and 15% by non-endorsable FPNs and 3% resulted in a driver education course.
- The increase in 2025 was primarily driven by a rise in non-endorsable fixed penalty notices, which increased by 45% (from 3,727 to 5,412). Endorsable FPNs also rose by 4%, while offences referred for prosecution fell by 7% and speed awareness courses decreased by 17%
- Insurance offences were the largest offence group in 2025, with 6,453 detections (17% of the total), followed by careless driving (4,755 detections) and speeding (4,513 detections).
- Construction and use offences saw the most notable rise, increasing by 1,035 (38%) to 3,789 detections between 2024 and 2025.
- In contrast, provisional figures show a reduction in drink/drug driving offences which fell by 416 offences (13%) between 2024 and 2025. Speeding offences decreased by 312 (6%) over the same period.
- The highest speed recorded by PSNI officers in 2025 was 143mph on the M2 Rathbeg Southbound, Antrim, a 70mph stretch of road.
About this publication
This annual report presents statistics on the number of motoring offences detected by police in Northern Ireland during 2025. It covers a range of disposal types including fixed penalty notices (endorsable and non-endorsable), speed awareness courses, safer driver courses, and referrals for prosecution.
Please note that figures refer to the number of offences detected, not the number of individuals, as a person can be detected for more than one offence. Prosecution referral figures from 1 January 2023 onwards are provisional and subject to amendment. The report does not include detections by the NI Road Safety Partnership (NIRSP).
Further information
For the full report, data tables and background information: Motoring Offence Statistics | PSNI