Courts let 10,000 people with 12 points continue driving

According to DVLA figures, thousands of motorists remain on the road legally despite having 12 points or more on their licence.

Thousands of motorists are being allowed to remain on the road legally despite having 12 points or more on their licence. The number flies in the face of government guidance that states that drivers should be banned if they accumulate that many points.

According to figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, obtained through a freedom of information request by The Sunday Times, 10,596 drivers were permitted to retain their licence even though they had reached or passed the 12-point limit at which most people have it revoked. The total includes two drivers who are still on the road with 36 points, four with 30 and 233 with 18 points. Almost 7,000 have been allowed to keep their licence with 12 points on it.

So, given how hard it is to actually get caught and prosecuted for a driving offence, and the typical penalty of 3 points which typically expire within 4 years, there are 10,000 drivers out there who still cannot learn to drive safely and yet bafflingly are still allowed on the roads.

We understand that one driver has a total of 176 points and has still been allowed to keep his licence.

Closing this ‘exceptional hardship’ loophole should be at the top of road safety campaigns. Please stay safe out there and do remind drivers about why it is necessary for cyclists to ‘take the lane’ and other steps necessary to keep themselves safe at all times.

#notalldrivers