4,154 UK drivers with 12+ speeding points remain licensed

More than 4,000 drivers in the UK are legally permitted to drive despite having accumulated at least 12 penalty points for speeding offences, a threshold that normally triggers an automatic disqualification. The data, obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency through a Freedom of Information request, reveals that 4,154 drivers currently hold 12 or more points specifically for speeding.

Among these, 117 drivers have amassed more than 20 points. The most extreme cases include two motorists who have 43 and 45 points on their licenses but remain licensed after courts accepted that a ban would cause them exceptional hardship. The data also identifies 101 drivers with between 20 and 29 points and 14 drivers with between 30 and 39 points.

Under the "totting up" rules, drivers who receive 12 or more points within a three-year period typically face a six-month ban. However, magistrates can exercise discretion if they believe disqualification would result in exceptional hardship, such as impacting a driver's ability to work or care for family.

The findings have prompted renewed scrutiny of sanctions for repeat offenders and calls for new technological interventions. The...