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Penalty points galore across Britain… and especially around Bristol!

22nd February 2019

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.”

 

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