Data obtained by DH Licence Check has shown that thousands of licence holders are still legally driving on Britain’s roads despite having 12 or more points.

According to the DVLA figures, released following a Freedom of Information request, some 2.9 million drivers across the UK have points on their licence.

Of these, a total of 6,884 drivers with 12 points or more are still legally driving on Britain’s roads – the usual limit before a driver is issued with a driving ban, unless a court accepts a submission of 'exceptional hardship'.

Analysis of the data also reveals regional variations: more than 235,000 people across just seven towns and cities in Scotland have at least one point on their licence and at least 400 drivers in Yorkshire are known to have 12 or more points.

This is in contrast to areas such as Exeter, in which only one in 50 licence holders - or 17,830 people - have at least one penalty point.

Chris Chidley, CEO of DH Licence Check parent company Specialist People Services (SPS), said: “Despite some eye-catching regional variations, Britain’s roads are some of the safest in the world.

"This is underlined by the overall picture, with just one in 14 drivers having any points at all on their licence.

“Nevertheless, the data we uncovered demonstrates that no one can be complacent about the roadworthiness of drivers.

"This is particularly important for businesses that have people on the road as part of their job.

"It is vital that firms carry out regular and rigorous checks of licences, not just to monitor penalty points but also to ensure workers have the correct licence for the vehicles they drive – one of the hidden dangers often overlooked by employers.”

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