Looking at new car deals for the first time may be an exciting experience, but getting a new vehicle also comes with responsibilities.
A freedom of information request from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has found that one single motorist – a man from Liverpool – has accumulated 45 licence penalty points in a single month. All the points were awarded due to failure to disclose the identity of the driver and exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road.
According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the offences occurred between October 1st 2012 and June 20th 2013 and surpasses the previous record of 42 points.
The IAM also found record of a man from Warrington, Cheshire, who was caught by police driving without insurance six times in a two-week period between February 20th and March 2nd 2012 and had received 36 points on his licence.
Simon Best, the IAM's chief executive, said: “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 overhaul
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."
He explained the whole approach to road safety enforcement may be called into question if there was any suggestion drivers can "speed with impunity" and then proceed to avoid a ban from driving.
Both the UK's motorists and the police force need to be confident that anyone who is caught speeding or flouting other motoring laws will face just punishment and be dealt with equally, Mr Best added.
According to the IAM's list, of the top twenty licence-points holders on the DVLA's records, only three are women, with one female driver in Lincoln having 34 points on her licence.
Posted by Emma Grange