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Brake calls for tough stance on banning drivers with 12 points
Date: 04 November 2011
Road safety charity Brake is calling for reform on law-breaking drivers following research from the charity and Direct Line that reveals that 43% of drivers who clock-up 12 points are not being disqualified.
Analysing DVLA data, it found that 10,072 drivers who had 12 points kept their licence while 13,449 drivers with 12 points or more are disqualified.
While motorists can expect a ban of at least six months when receiving 12 points, many successfully plead that being disqualified would cause 'exceptional hardship'. This is often fleet-related, as drivers who use a car for work would arguably lose their jobs if a licence was revoked.
London and the South East, Yorkshire and Humberside, and the North West each have more than 1000 drivers with 12-plus points still on the roads.
Brake campaigns director Julie Townsend said: "We are asking the Government to act quickly to address this appalling situation. Clearly when the points system was designed, it wasn't intended that nearly half of drivers with 12 points would evade disqualification.
"It is outrageous these individuals, who rack up offence after offence, are allowed to continue driving, causing enormous risk to the public. Drivers who repeatedly flout traffic laws have shown complete disregard for the lives of other road users."
