What do points make?

[Horse]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8yq063m96o

A man still holds a valid driving licence despite having 229 penalty points, figures show.

The 26-year-old from Flintshire in north Wales is among more than 50 drivers in Britain who can legally drive with at least 30 penalty points.

The "shocking" statistics have sparked calls for repeat offenders to undertake mandatory retraining.

Motoring industry experts have raised concerns that, without transparency around the reasons for ban exceptions, safety and trust in the system could be compromised.

The statistics from August 2024, given to the BBC by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, showed 10,000 valid licence holders with 12 points or more, the typical threshold for a ban.

There were more than 9,000 people in England, 619 in Wales and 266 in Scotland.

Across Britain, three male licence holders have more than 100 points, while the woman with the most points is a 50-year-old with 96, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

[Lutin]

What do points make? A mockery of the driving licencing system.

The "get of gaol free" excuse of "I need the car for (insert reason here)" is just cocking a massive snook to the system.

[Cousin Jack]

It shows our criminal justice system is broken.

Magistrates allowing repeat offenders off for sympathy.

Judges handing out token punishments for some major crimes.

Prison system routinely letting people out after 1/2 the sentence.

[Rockburner]

It shows our criminal justice system is broken.

Magistrates allowing repeat offenders off for sympathy.

Judges handing out token punishments for some major crimes.

Prison system routinely letting people out after 1/2 the sentence.

On the contrary, it actually shows that the system is treating each case on it's merits/demerits, within the framework of laws that have been laid down*, which is the way it's supposed to work.

The issue in this particular instance is that the reason for that headline driver still being on the road is not made clear, and thus controversy is generated, and clickbait headlines do their thing to stir confusion and frustration.

The somewhat generic reasons that might be given for a person to still have a licence to drive despite a large tally of points are given in that article - but buried away about 3/4 of the way through.


Obviously there are some people who games the system, but that's true of the planet and humanity.






* ie, a mish-mash of often contradictory rules

[Cousin Jack]

Generic reasons, "perhaps this, perhaps that".

How many times do you need to drive through a camera at 3 points a pop to build up 100+ points?

If you consistently ignore the rules you need to be punished more severely, not let off.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The "get of gaol free" excuse of "I need the car for (insert reason here)" is just cocking a massive snook to the system.

That's always my take on it. If you need a car that's all the more reason to take extra care when driving. This is one of the reasons I stick to the limits, never touch a drop when I'm driving etc. I need a car to pay my mortgage and feed my family, in a round about sort of way, so I try not to imperil that.

Besides, if you drive for a living you should be better at it, right?

229 points would seem to be taking the piss I can get why maybe having a bit more than the normal ban limit is possible, but as per the article the fact you can be so far over just makes me think the system is BS. Maybe it isn't, but again as per the article it'd be helpful to know why.

[Wossname]

229 points? As points “expire” after 3 years, that means the driver has acquired an average of 75 points each year for the last 3 years. 3 points (say) every 2 weeks, throughout that time. That sounds deliberate to me - certainly not “poor obs”. Throw him in jail.

[Sadlonelygit]

You'd think that if your livelihood was reliant on you having a driving license, and if you are approaching 12 points you'd drive like mother Theresa rather than Lewis Hamilton.
I had 9points many moons ago (a series of unfortunate events, strangely none my fault), however for 18 months I drove to the letter of the law!
Guess what, I didn't need to go in front of the beak and spin them some cock and bull story about how my disabled nana relied on me to take her to bingo every Friday.

[MrLongbeard]

Poor obs obvs.
I have 2 firm rules, keep it under 100 on the M-way, stick to 30 in 30's, so far in 34 - 35ish years I've only had 3 points and 1 speeding course.

[Cousin Jack]

Tempting fate I know.........

Licence for 50 years, nil points in all that time. And yes, I have broken speed limits, almost every time I ride or drive. I am however careful where I speed, and I have been lucky a few times.

[JackyJoll]

Yes, speed limits come under the Occasional Compliance Act.

[mangocrazy]

Yes, speed limits come under the Occasional Compliance Act.

They're an advisory in the great MoT of life...