Driver found to have 45 penalty points to his name.
A man from Liverpool has racked up a staggering 45 licence penalty points, beating the previous record of 42 points set in September 2012. More incredible, however, is that the unnamed motorist can still legally drive in the UK.
All 45 points were accumulated by failing to disclose the identity of the driver and exceeding the speed limit on a public road between October 1st and June 20th 2012, according to information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency obtained via a freedom of information request from the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
An unnamed man from Warrington in Cheshire was found to have the second highest number of penalty points, having racked up 36 points for being caught driving without car insurance six times between 20th February and 2nd March 2012.
Another offender with 34 points, this time a woman from Lincoln, was caught speeding three times and failed to identify the driver four times between 15th January and 26th September 2012.
Of the 20 drivers in the UK with the most points, only three are female. Failing to give the identity of the driver, speeding and driving without insurance are cited as the most common reasons for points being given.
Institute of Advanced Motorists chief executive Simon Best commented: “Last September, the IAM highlighted a driver with 42 points on their licence 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,” he added.
8,000 motorists in the UK have more than 12 points on their licence but have dodged a ban, according to figures from the DVLA released back in April 2013.
Motorists are meant to be disqualified from driving upon reaching 12 points over a three-year period, but if the offender can persuade the court a driving ban would result in ‘exceptional hardship’ their licence can be retained.
Penalty points – also known as endorsements – can be taken off your licence after a period of four to 11 years, depending on the severity of the offence or offences committed.
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