The Rev Ian Paisley today called for authorities in the United Kingdom and Republic to be able to ban drivers who commit motoring offences in other parts of the two islands.
During a briefing to the Northern Ireland Assembly on July's British-Irish Council summit meeting in Belfast, the First Minister said he hoped there would be progress soon on the administrations recognising motoring offences in each other's jurisdictions.
"There are many, many improvements which could be helpful, but I think that one of the main things that worries me greatly is the terrible deaths on our roads.
"This was brought out firmly at the meeting and I think that all of the countries concerned and the places concerned need to have a proper disqualification law," Dr Paisley said.
"I had a young man in my church recently who was killed by a driver who had just come in a few days ago from another country in Europe, and he just had a provisional licence.
"He drove into the car my friend was in, and my friend was killed. That brought it home very much to me. So I think on that point alone we could make progress."
During a summit in July, the UK and Irish governments and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey agreed there needed to be a more consistent approach to driver disqualification and lesser offences.
