MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION MOTORISTS HAVE AT LEAST THREE PENALTY POINTS ON THEIR LICENCES…
Bristol drivers have racked up the most points on their licences, research reveal:
- 6.8% of Bristol population have at least three penalty points on their driving licences
- 6.4% of population in Slough and Halifax have at least three points on their licences
- Over 5,500 drivers in BS16 postcode district have incurred at least three penalty points
- 11,000 drivers in England & Wales have at least 12 points (automatic ban) on their licences
London, 22nd February 2019 — More than 2.5 million drivers across England and Wales currently have at least three points on their driving licences. And Bristol officially has the worst drivers, with 6.8% of the population having at least three penalty points on their licences, according to the latest DVLA data analysed by car selling comparison website Motorway.co.uk.
More than 60,000 drivers registered in the BS postcode area, which is made up of 47 postcode districts covering Bristol and surrounding areas, still have points on their licences having committed at least one recent motoring offence. Over 14,279 are multiple offenders, with at least six points on their licences.
These figures are supported by speed camera data obtained from local police forces, which shows that the two most active speed cameras in the UK, are on the M32 to Bristol and between Bristol Junction 19 and 20 on the M4. While, twice as many drivers were caught speeding in the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, which covers the Bristol area, than in any other constabulary, between June 2016 and May 2018.
Slough and Halifax have the next highest number of car drivers with at least three penalty points on their licences as a percentage of population, both with 6.4%. Slough is close to the M4 which is used frequently by commuters to and from London.
Across England and Wales, 2.69 million drivers currently have at least three points on their licences, and 11,090 have at least 12 points and are likely serving an automatic ban. Almost 80,000 drivers have nine penalty points on their licenses, which means 79,463 drivers are one more motoring offence away from receiving an automatic ban.
Motorway.co.uk obtained the most up-to-date data on penalty points by postcode across England and Wales from the Driving Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made in February 2019. The courts endorse driving licences with penalty points if a driver is convicted of a motoring offence. Drivers are disqualified if there are 12 or more points on their licence.
The following table shows the worst postcode areas, ranked in order of highest number of drivers who have incurred at least three penalty points on their driving licences as a percentage of population.
|
Postcode area |
Town/City |
Population |
No. of drivers with at least 3 points on licences |
No. of drivers with at least 3 points on licences as % of population |
| BS | Bristol | 940,241 | 63,747 | 6.78% |
| SL | Slough | 373,607 | 24,017 | 6.43% |
| HX | Halifax | 160,378 | 10,209 | 6.37% |
| HG | Harrogate | 138,343 | 8,709 | 6.30% |
| HD | Huddersfield | 262,814 | 16,294 | 6.20% |
| TA | Taunton | 322,197 | 19,720 | 6.12% |
| BH | Bournemouth | 551,987 | 33765 | 6.12% |
| LU | Luton | 335,950 | 20,360 | 6.06% |
| HP | Hemel Hempstead | 488,351 | 29,126 | 5.96% |
| WR | Worcester | 287,414 | 16,988 | 5.91% |
| NN | Northampton | 653,215 | 38,330 | 5.87% |
| BD | Bradford | 578336 | 33,487 | 5.79% |
| DN | Doncaster | 755,713 | 43,718 | 5.79% |
| BA | Bath | 434,166 | 24,309 | 5.60% |
| WF | Wakefield | 512,657 | 28,613 | 5.58% |
| WD | Watford | 255,988 | 14,177 | 5.54% |
| DT | Dorchester | 213,203 | 11,577 | 5.43% |
| CM | Chelmsford | 653,492 | 35,026 | 5.36% |
| YO | York | 562,439 | 30,082 | 5.35% |
| SS | Southend-on-Sea | 518,677 | 27,660 | 5.33% |
Postcode districts
A town or city is made up of postcode districts. The most prolific postcode district for penalty points is Bristol postcode BS16. Over 5,500 drivers in BS16 currently have at least three points on their licences, more than any other postcode district in England and Wales.
The following table shows the worst postcode districts, ranked in order of highest number of drivers who have at least three penalty points on their current driving licences.
|
Postcode district |
Town/City |
No. of drivers with 3 points on licences |
No. of drivers with 9 points on licences |
No. of drivers with at least 3 points on licenses |
|
BS16 |
Bristol |
4,124 |
220 |
5,530 |
|
CR0 |
Croydon |
2,945 |
143 |
4,688 |
|
NN3 |
Northampton |
3,245 |
144 |
4,454 |
|
SL6 |
Maidenhead |
3,431 |
110 |
4,452 |
|
LE2 |
Leicester |
3,039 |
142 |
4,227 |
|
LE3 |
Leicester |
2,880 |
156 |
4,146 |
|
NG5 |
Nottingham |
2,894 |
154 |
3,966 |
|
BH23 |
Christchurch |
3,117 |
91 |
3,922 |
|
LU7 |
Leighton Buzzard |
2,866 |
128 |
3,809 |
|
NG16 |
Nottingham |
2,935 |
113 |
3,803 |
|
SL1 |
Slough |
2,562 |
141 |
3,799 |
|
BA2 |
Bath |
2,827 |
71 |
3,506 |
|
PR2 |
Preston |
2,556 |
125 |
3,502 |
|
SL3 |
Slough |
2,415 |
129 |
3,437 |
|
CF14 |
Cardiff |
2,600 |
86 |
3,390 |
|
BS4 |
Bristol |
2,504 |
130 |
3,367 |
|
NG8 |
Nottingham |
2,386 |
111 |
3,333 |
|
PR4 |
Preston |
2,538 |
104 |
3,315 |
|
GL2 |
Gloucester |
2,523 |
102 |
3,298 |
|
CV6 |
Coventry |
2,178 |
105 |
3,286 |
Alex Buttle, director of car buying comparison website Motorway.co.uk comments:
“Almost two million people currently have at least three points on their driving licence. That’s not just a staggering number of people who have committed a motoring offence, it’s also a nice little cash generator for the Government in the form of fines. A large number of these fines will have been incurred for speeding, and in particular speeding on motorways.
But while the stats suggest otherwise, are Bristol and Slough drivers really more dangerous than drivers from elsewhere? Rather than being ‘boy racer’ districts, one has to ask if the prevalence of a high number of main roads and speed cameras in these areas is a main contributing factor to the higher number of offences seen.
It was perhaps not surprising to see most Greater London areas at the very bottom of the list for motoring offences as anyone who has spent time on main roads in the capital will understand the opportunity to break the speed limit is minimal with most main roads highly congested during peak hours.”