Number of banned drivers on the rise

The number of drivers that have had their licence revoked has increased by an “alarming” rate, according to Licence Check.

New figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) show a 33.5% increase in the number of drivers that had their licence revoked under the Road Traffic Act.

Terry Hiles, general manager at Licence Check, said: “Employers should be increasingly concerned by the growing number of drivers having their licences revoked and the increase in the numbers amassing more than the 12 point maximum over the last four years.

“Companies need to be increasingly on their guard to ensure that they are not employing drivers who have had their licence revoked in the last year or have exceeded the 12 point disqualification ceiling.  The continuing upward trend in both cases requires a robust and focussed process to identify and properly manage work related road risks.

“We have already seen that there are a growing number of drivers  in the UK who may be driving on foreign licences under reciprocal arrangements with the UK authorities, and these new statistics underline the need for companies to remain vigilant at all times.”

The number of lorry or bus drivers who had also had their driving entitlement revoked or refused for medical reasons has increased from 11,213 in 2017 to 12,242 in 2018, a rise of 9.2%.

Meanwhile, the number of drivers with 12 or more penalty points on their licences is also on the increase. In July last year, there were 10,978 drivers with 12 or more penalty points recorded on their current driver record.  By the end of March this year, that figure had risen to 11,150, a 1.6% rise in less than six months.

Hiles said companies needed to ensure that licence checks are carried out frequently and automated where possible to avoid any missed checks.  Frequency of checks will depend on a variety of factors.