25 September 2003
COLERAINE CELEBRATES CENTENARY:
FROM 50 TO 800,000, A CENTURY OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION
DOE Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland has published a history ‘100 Years On the Road’ to mark 100 years of vehicle registration.
Brendan Magee, Chief Executive DVLNI said:
"The Motor Car Act 1903 introduced a series of measures to identify vehicles and their owners. All vehicles were to be registered and to display registration marks in a prominent place. All drivers were to be licensed annually. Fines were introduced for speeding, reckless driving and driving unlicensed vehicles. Clearly the main purpose behind the Act was Road Safety.
"Many motorists reacted negatively – ‘We don’t want to be numbered like convicts and labelled like hackney carriages’ was a common response," he said.
The first car imported into Ireland was by Mr John Brown of Longhurst near Belfast. He was well known in the scientific community and imported a Serpollet steam car from France in 1896. Unfortunately the poor quality of the Irish roads made driving much more difficult than in France and led Mr Brown to become a founder member of the Irish Roads Improvement Association.
Mr Magee said:
"In 1903 it is estimated that there were about 50 cars in Ireland. The first year with full accurate figures 1905, shows 842 cars registered. Today there are 800,000 vehicles in Northern Ireland.
Driving licences became compulsory in January 1904 but there were no tests either practical or medical. A royal commission in 1905 recommended that a test would be desirable but it was 1956 before such tests were introduced in Northern Ireland. However NI did lead the way on the introduction of photographs on driving licences, 1926 in NI and not until 1998 in the rest of the UK."
Mr Magee Chief Executive of DVLNI commented:
"It is fascinating as a social history to see the development of the motor car in Northern Ireland and the associated attitudes. Motor cars have been manufactured in Northern Ireland. De Lorean most readily springs to mind but the Chambers Brothers manufactured cars between 1904 and 1927 and at peak production made 500 cars per year.
"Road safety has remained a constant theme over the 100 years and it is still top priority today. Vehicle registration has been and remains at the core of law enforcement."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Some Key Facts
paddy.murphy@doeni.gov.uk
- The vehicle registration fee in 1903 was £1. Today the fee is £25.
- A driving licence was 5 shillings but lasted for only 1 year. The current fee is £20 for a 10 year licence.
- Motor Tax was introduced in 1909/1910 and cost £3, 3 shillings for a 6–12 horse power (1497cc) car. Today the fee is £110.
- Copies of 100 Years on The Road are available by sending a SAE to:
DVLNI
County Hall
Castlerock Road
Coleraine
BT51 3HS.
- Further information contact Paddy Murphy DOE Press Office tel. 028 9054 0014
Click here to print this press release.
