More than 8,600 drivers escape ban despite 12 points
Thousands of motorists are allowed to drive despite racking up enough penalty points for disqualification, an investigation has found.
Figures obtained following a freedom of information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) show there are 8,632 licence holders in Britain with at least 12 points.
Road safety charity Brake said it was "appalling" that they were not banned, and police leaders said laws should be changed to stop drivers being granted exemptions in court.
Points are put on a driver's licence when they are convicted for a motoring offence, such as speeding (three to six points) and drink-driving (three to 11 points).
Most drivers are disqualified for at least six months through the totting up process if they accrue 12 or more points within three years.
But courts have discretion to allow offenders to keep driving if they are able to prove extenuating circumstances, including when a ban would cause extreme financial hardship.
The figures are a snapshot of the situation on September 4.
Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, said: "It is appalling that any driver can remain on the country's roads despite having accumulated 12 points or more.
"These dangerous repeat offenders have been granted ample opportunity to change theirdrivingbehaviour,yetcontinuetoputlivesatriskthrough theircompletedisregardforthe law.
"If drivers who rack up 12 points aren't banned, it makes a mockery of the system."
Jack Cousens, head of roads policyfortheaa,saidmotorists who get 12 points have demonstrated "continuous poor driving" and their licences "should be taken away".
Andy Cox, who leads the National Police Chiefs' Council's work on fatal collision investigations, said he would "welcome the removal" of the exceptional hardship exemption, describing it as a "glaring example of where the system is out of kilter".
The message sent by permittingitis"completelywrong"and "weneedtochangeourculture", he added.
An average of five people die every day on UK roads and 60 are seriously injured. Police believe up to 95 per cent of crashes are caused by driver error.