Driver warning – Thousands motorists risking ban for one more simple error

There are thousands of motorists in the UK with nine penalty points on their driving licence meaning they are risking a ban if they make one more error. Penalty points are issued to drivers for a range of offences on the road from using your phone behind the wheel to running a red light. Drivers will lose their licence if they tot up 12 points within three years but motorists who have held their licence for less than two only need to accrue six. New data revealed that 80,855 driving licences have nine points – just three away from a ban.

It is estimated that 2.7 million motorists across England, Scotland and Wales currently have three or more points on their licence.

Around 11,000 drivers have 12 or more points on them but this won’t instantly mean a ban if they have served a court sentence for their offences and reapplied for their licence afterward.

The analysis of DVLA licensing data by TMC found that some proportion of areas land more points than others.

Yorkshire and the Humber was the area where the most points were handed to drivers with them on almost nine per cent of licences.

Paul Hollick, managing director of TMC, said: “The chances of a working driver having points on their licence are noticeably higher than suggested by the raw statistics.

“Business drivers are often out on the road every working day whereas the apparent number of clean licences is boosted by many thousands of people who don’t drive, or live abroad or have even died but remain in the data.

“That is why it is imperative for employers to check working drivers’ licences to ensure they are valid and to identify staff at risk of a totting-up ban.

“Electronic checks by an accredited licence-checking firm take a few seconds and should not cost the employer more than £2.50 per driver per year. It’s a small price to pay to mitigate the risks.”

The UK’s 10 proportionally most-endorsed postcode areas

  • Halifax (10,758, 10.6%)
  • Bradford (34,455, 10.5%)
  • Huddersfield (16,593, 9.9%)
  • Bristol (61,761, 9.4%)
  • Doncaster (44,786, 9.3%)
  • Wakefield (29,403, 9.1%)
  • Leeds (41,823, 9.0%)
  • Luton (20,137, 8.9%)
  • Slough (24,734, 8.7%)
  • Harrogate (8,785, 8.7%)

The 10 proportionally least-endorsed postcode areas

  • Brighton (27,991 5.1%)
  • Harrow (17,074, 5.0%)
  • Exeter (19,967 4.9%
  • Greater London (136,693, 4.9%)
  • Truro (10,508, 4.8%)
  • Cambridge (13,042, 4.4%)
  • Bromley (9,688, 4.4%)
  • Tonbridge (22,100, 4.3%)
  • Shetland (673, 4.3%)
  • Canterbury (12,254, 3.9%)

Mainland UK regions by proportion of local licences with points

  • Yorkshire and the Humber (8.58%)
  • North East (7.21%)
  • Wales (7.19%)
  • East Midlands (6.94%)
  • South West (6.92%)
  • West Midlands (6.91%)
  • Scotland (6.77%)
  • North West (6.74%)
  • East of England (6.65%)
  • South East (5.85%)

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