Figures from DVLA reveal 46 people are driving on the UK’s roads, even though they have collected more than 30 penalty points on their licence.
These drivers would have claimed in court that a disqualification would have caused them ‘exceptional hardship’ and been allowed to remain on the road.
DVLA figures show there are 8,237 drivers in England on or over the 12-point threshold, with men (6,837) far outnumbering women (1,400). In Wales, the overall figure is 512 – with 413 male and 99 female motorists – while Scotland has a lower total figure of 225, split into 192 men and 33 women.
The Sentencing Council ruled last year that loss of employment caused by a disqualification from driving is no longer sufficient alone to demonstrate exceptional hardship.
Incurring 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period means a minimum period of six months’ disqualification must be imposed.
GEM Motoring Assist is urging courts across the country to get tough on these ‘totters’. It says a consistent and strong message is needed for drivers and riders who accumulate 12 penalty points on their licences.
GEM chief executive Neil Worth said: “A driving ban should be inevitable for anyone who has managed to accumulate 12 penalty points on their licence. It takes a particularly careless, thoughtless or reckless person to reach this level, and their disregard for the law means they each represent a big risk for the rest of us who share the roads with them.
“The time for drivers to consider the consequences of a ban should come long before they find themselves with the prospect of 12 points. While a ban will cause considerable levels of hardship, courts need to give more thought to other road users – particularly the most vulnerable – who face the greatest danger when such high-risk drivers are allowed to keep their licences.”
3 thoughts on “More than 8,000 drivers over the 12-point threshold”
There should be no hardships exseptions, you no what your doing when you do it, why should i spend a whole life time deadecated to advanced safe driving to have fools share the roads with me, seems very unfair to me, and the law is letting fools be bigger fools and laughing at it, paulpretty advanced driver,
Drivers need to take responsibility for their actions.
This makes the highway code and laws a joke. These drivers received penalty points after being caught, no doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg and they are breaking the Highway Code/laws far more often. This not only endangers their lives, but all other road users. If they loose their job or suffer hardship it’s through their own actions. They have demonstrated that they are NOT safe drivers and consequently should loose their licence, having to re-take the test. By allowing them to legally still be on the roads not only endanger the lives of innocent people, but sets a bad example, especially for newly qualified licence holders.
When a driver accumulates 6 points I would like to think they would be obliged to attend an official driving course that the police do – The National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme.
Approximately 50% of drivers who do attend this course are better, caring drivers.
If further offences and points are accumulated – up to 12, then absolutely ban them for a period of time, but remember, many banned drivers still continue to drive. This is another issue and needs different action.