A man in the English city of Liverpool is still allowed behind the wheel despite having accumulated 45 licence penalty points on his licence. This worrying fact was uncovered by the UK’s 5125 Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) following a freedom of information request to the 5244 Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The points were all for failing to disclose the identity of the driver or exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road, between October 2012 and June 2013. This worryingly high number beats the previous record of 42 points for a driver still able to get behind the wheel. Under UK law, drivers with more than 12 points on their licence are supposed to be banned automatically for at least 12 months. The IAM’s data search also revealed that the second-highest points total, 36, went to a man from Warrington, Cheshire, who was caught driving without insurance six times in less than two weeks, between February and March 2012. Other offenders include a woman from Lincoln with 34 points, who was caught speeding three times and failed to give information to identify the driver four times between January 2012 and September 2012. Failing to give the identity of the owner, speeding, and driving uninsured are the most common reasons for points. It is worth noting that of the top 20 licence-points holders, only three are women.
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Last September, the IAM highlighted a driver with 42 points on their license and we were told that more would be done to address the issue. Incredibly, we now have someone driving with 45 points. DVLA must rapidly overall their systems and working relationships with the courts to ensure that the whole principle of 12 points and you are off the road is not undermined. Any suggestion that some drivers may be able to speed with impunity and then talk themselves out of a ban puts our whole approach to enforcement into question. The police and the motoring public need to have confidence that those caught speeding or breaking other motoring laws will be dealt with equally.”
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Last September, the IAM highlighted a driver with 42 points on their license and we were told that more would be done to address the issue. Incredibly, we now have someone driving with 45 points. DVLA must rapidly overall their systems and working relationships with the courts to ensure that the whole principle of 12 points and you are off the road is not undermined. Any suggestion that some drivers may be able to speed with impunity and then talk themselves out of a ban puts our whole approach to enforcement into question. The police and the motoring public need to have confidence that those caught speeding or breaking other motoring laws will be dealt with equally.”
