Drivers push the penalty point limit

Recent research has revealed that thousands of convicted motoring offenders are still driving legally on UK roads despite having twelve or more penalty points.

A Freedom of Information request by LV= car insurance shows that there are over 10,000 drivers in the UK still legally driving with twelve or more penalty points, as of 9th July this year. In fact, over a fifth of these (2,167) have 13 or more penalty points but have still not been given a ban, and four of these hold 30 points on their licence and are still driving.

Among all UK licence holders, 3,823,544 hold penalty points, with the vast majority (82%) receiving points for speeding. Motorists who are caught speeding receive three to twelve points per conviction, but points can be given for a wide range of motoring offences including reckless or careless driving, drink or drug driving, failing to stop after an accident, failing to comply with traffic light signals and driving without insurance.

Recent research from LV= car insurance shows that many drivers would suffer to a degree if they were to lose their licence. A quarter (23%) of drivers said they would not be able to get to the shops if they were disqualified from the roads, one in seven (14%) say they would be housebound and one in twenty (5%) said they would be unemployable.