Over 50 people in the UK still have valid driver’s licences despite racking up at least 30 penalty points—a threshold that usually signals repeat offenders who might benefit from mandatory retraining.
Three men each have over 100 points, including a 26-year-old with a whopping 176 points. The woman with the highest points total is 50 years old, holding 96. Altogether, there are 53 people with 30 or more points on their licenses.
Drivers get points after convictions for offences like speeding (three to six points), drink-driving (three to 11 points), and careless driving (three to nine points). Normally, drivers face a six-month ban if they reach 12 points within three years, unless they can prove that losing their licence would create “exceptional hardship”—for example, affecting their job or family care duties. As it stands, 10,056 drivers hold licenses despite having 12 or more points.
Nicholas Lyes from the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart says, “These shocking statistics call into question whether the definition of exceptional hardship needs reviewing.
“Any driver that is on the cusp of a ban would normally take heed of the risk of losing their licence, but it seems that a minority continue to break the law without any consideration.
“At the very least, those that accrue 12 or more points on their licence should be required to take an additional training course, even if they are allowed to keep their licence because a court has deemed that losing it would cause exceptional hardship.”
Points can stay on a license for up to 11 years, so some drivers who’ve been convicted multiple times remain legally behind the wheel after serving a disqualification period.
Steve Gooding of the RAC Foundation believes more transparency on these exceptions would improve public trust. He says, “It would be reassuring to know that someone in authority was monitoring both the absolute number of licence holders swerving a ban and the reasons why they’ve been granted leave to keep driving.
“A bit more transparency in the system might ensure the right balance is being struck between personal mobility and our collective safety. It could also improve public confidence in justice.
“Exceptional hardship needs to be truly exceptional.”
The DVLA, which only records court decisions and doesn’t influence sentencing, verifies with courts whenever a driver passes the 12-point threshold without receiving a ban.
