Back

IAM RoadSmart finds more than half a million drivers have at least 6 points on their licence

08 November 2023

Analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) data by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart finds that more than half a million motorists in the UK (542,287) have six points on their driving licence and almost 100,000 (94,088) have nine points.

Given that being caught looking at – or even holding – a mobile device whilst driving carries an automatic £200 fine plus six points on your licence, and an accumulated total of twelve points automatically results in a driving ban, 636,375 motorists are just a text away from having their licence removed.
 
There are currently an additional 2,030,985 motorists in the UK with three points on their licence.

This means that the proportion of drivers with three, six or nine points on their licence increased significantly as of August 5 2023. The proportion of drivers with nine points on their licence has increased year-on-year by 8 per cent from 86,849 in August 2022. 

A breakdown of the figures based on gender finds that, of the 2.03 million drivers with three points on their licence, 1.39 million are male and 642,447 are female. This means that males represent 68 per cent of all drivers with three points on their driving licence (females represent 32 per cent). Interestingly, the gap widens further as the number of points increases, for example:

• Male drivers represent 76 per cent of those with six points on their driving licence (females represent 24 per cent).
• Male drivers represent 80 per cent of those with nine points on their driving licence (females represent 20 per cent).

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy, Campaigns and Standards Nicholas Lyes said: “It is astounding that there are more half a million drivers just one touch of their phone away from a driving ban. Anyone with six points on their licence that is tempted to text or take a selfie on their phone is not only risking a ban but is a potential danger to themselves and other road users. A pinging phone can be a massive distraction, so it is best to put it out of sight, out of reach and on silent. 

“Drivers with any number of points on their licence, but especially those with six or nine should not only evaluate their driving skills but think about the risk a driving ban could have on their livelihoods. Thankfully, education and training courses can play a role in making people safer drivers, along with changing behaviours and attitudes - something IAM RoadSmart offers across the UK and would encourage police forces to recommend to drivers.”

Graphic courtesy of IAM RoadSmart

Contract hire and fleet management specialists

We at Marshall Leasing are interested in the latest news about road safety, and we trust you find this information interesting.

If you would like to find out more about how you could benefit from our all-inclusive fleet management offering, please get in touch with our team of experts by emailing info@marshall-leasing.co.uk or calling 01480 414541. We will be delighted to assist.

Back