Repeat offenders “need to be removed from public roads”

IAM RoadSmart has called on the Government to ensure that all drivers who have amassed 12 or more penalty points have their licences revoked.

Repeat offendersDVLA statistics, obtained by the road safety charity through an FOI request, show there are up to 8,800 people still driving on UK roads with more than 12 points – the amount at which you are disqualified.

The highest number of penalty points currently held by one individual is 68.

IAM RoadSmart says letting repeat offenders keep their licence “undermines” the system – adding the issue “urgently needs to be addressed”.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said:  “We urge the Government to urgently revisit the issue of drivers with more than 12 points who still have not had their licences revoked.

“IAM RoadSmart has been raising this issue for almost a decade now and the problem still persists. It’s not by chance that certain drivers amass 12 or more points and they need to be removed from the public roads.

“By letting them keep their licence it undermines the simple ‘four strikes and you’re out’ message and this urgently needs to be addressed.”

The figures also show there are more than 304,000 pensioners (over 65s) currently driving on UK roads with penalty points on their licence, nearly 25 times the number of young teenage drivers – of which there are just over 12,000 with penalty points.

They show that the oldest person driving with points on their licence is 102, while there are more than 3,000 over the age of 90 currently driving with penalty points.

Overall, there are more drivers in their 30s with penalty points than any other age range (575,029), closely followed by those in their 40s (572,238) and those in their 50s (568,511).

The highest single age with the greatest number of people with points was 49 (63,248).

Neil Greig added: “The findings are surprising. Speeding and other motoring misdemeanours are often associated with younger drivers but the findings clearly show there is a large number of older drivers also flouting the rules.

“Regardless of age, the message we need to get through is that road safety is paramount and we urge drivers of all ages to stick to the speed limits and ensure their vehicles are in a roadworthy condition.”

 

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