DVLAMore than 50 people have UK driving licences with...

More than 50 people have UK driving licences with at least 30 points on them

-

More than 50 people in Britain hold valid driving licences despite racking up at least 30 penalty points, sparking calls for repeat offenders to undertake mandatory retraining.

Three male licence holders have more than 100 points, including a 26-year-old with 176, according to analysis of official figures by the PA news agency. The woman with the most points is a 50-year-old with 96.

There are 53 people who have at least 30 points.

Points are issued after convictions for road offences, such as driving without due care and attention (three to nine points), drink-driving (three to 11 points), and speeding (three to six points).

Under the totting-up process, drivers are usually banned for six months if they receive 12 or more points within a three-year period, unless they convince a court this would result in exceptional hardship, which could relate to their ability to work or care for their family.

A total of 10,056 drivers hold a valid licence despite having at least 12 points.

Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “These shocking statistics call into question whether the definition of exceptional hardship needs reviewing.

“Any driver that is on the cusp of a ban would normally take heed of the risk of losing their licence, but it seems that a minority continue to break the law without any consideration.

“At the very least, those that accrue 12 or more points on their licence should be required to take an additional training course, even if they are allowed to keep their licence because a court has deemed that losing it would cause exceptional hardship.”

Points remain on licences for up to 11 years after an offence is committed, meaning some people with multiple driving convictions are legally allowed behind the wheel because they have served a period of disqualification.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures, which are a snapshot from 14 September, do not show how many motorists avoided a ban despite reaching the 12-point mark.

Steve Gooding, director of the pro-motoring thinktank the RAC Foundation, said: “It would be reassuring to know that someone in authority was monitoring both the absolute number of licence holders swerving a ban and the reasons why they’ve been granted leave to keep driving.

“A bit more transparency in the system might ensure the right balance is being struck between personal mobility and our collective safety. It could also improve public confidence in justice.

“Exceptional hardship needs to be truly exceptional.”

The DVLA records information provided by courts and has no influence on sentences.

The agency said where the threshold of 12 points is met but a disqualification is not imposed, it contacts the relevant court to check that was the intention.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest news

Four-Year-Old Boy Who Smashed Rare Bronze Age Jar Returns To Museum In Israel

A four-year-old boy who accidentally broke an ancient urn dating back to the late Bronze Age has returned for...

Donald Trump Threatens To Imprison Mark Zuckerburg For

Donald Trump has threatened to imprison Mark Zuckerberg if the Facebook founder does "anything illegal" to influence the upcoming...

Hamas Commander Killed In West Bank, Israeli Military Says

Israeli border police say they have killed a senior Hamas commander in the West Bank. The military says Wassem...

Abba Demands Donald Trump Campaign Stop Use Of Their Music – Joining Long List Of Stars

Abba has become the third musical act this month to complain about its music being used in Donald Trump's...

Must read

More

    Watchdog opens investigation into anti-immigrant posts on Facebook

    Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta must answer “serious questions” about its...

    Ethiopia’s Beetle mania: how an entire country fell in love with Volkswagen’s quirky classic

    When Yared Agonafer, an Ethiopian gold and silver merchant,...

    You might also likeRELATED
    Recommended to you

    0
    Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
    ()
    x