A new study has found that 77,406 learner drivers have already received points on their provisional licenses.
Among those taking the top spots for the UK’s most dangerous learner drivers is a 43-year-old man who has a whopping 63 points, and a 20-year-old who already has 30.
In response to a request for freedom of information (FOI) sent to the DVLA’s Select Car leasing81 percent of drivers with contaminated driver’s licenses are male, while only 19 percent are female.
The independent car and van leasing specialists also found that 449 drivers over 70 have demerit points on their provisional licences.
An unlucky 20-year-old with already thirty points on his provisional list has been identified as the youngest driver in the UK to achieve such a score.
He’s not the worst offender though, with another 43-year-old man having a whopping 63 points on his provisional license.
A new study has found that 77,406 learner drivers have already received points on their provisional licenses. Following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to the DVLA by Select Car Leasing, 81 percent of drivers with contaminated driver’s licenses are male and only 19 percent are female
Learner drivers between the ages of 20 and 29 were the most likely violations of the law, with nearly 30,000 provisional license holders falling into this category.
Meanwhile, London and the Home Counties were the regions most affected by student drivers with points on their provisional – with Northampton and Perth, Scotland also appearing in a list of top ten hotspots.
A provisional license allows you to drive on UK roads under the supervision of your driving instructor or another driver over the age of 21 who has held a full license for at least three years.
People can apply for a provisional driver’s license when you are 15 years and 9 months old and are allowed to drive at 17.
For all common traffic violations, such as speeding, careless driving or using a mobile phone behind the wheel, penalty points can be received on a provisional driver’s license before taking a driving test.
It can take up to three years for demerit points on a provisional driver’s license to expire, but any demerit points on your provisional driver’s license that have not expired will carry over to your full driver’s license when you pass your test.
If you receive further demerit points within two years of passing your practical exam, bringing you to a total of six or more, your driver’s license will be suspended until you have passed both your theory and practical exams again.
In general, demerits or endorsements must remain on a driving record for 4 or 11 years, depending on the offense.
Drivers can be disqualified from driving if they accumulate 12 or more penalty points within a 3-year period, and the ban can last between 6 months and 2 years, depending on whether or not they receive a subsequent second or third disqualification.
It is for this reason that some motorists can accumulate huge numbers of points on their driver’s license.
There are also waivers and discretion when it comes to people losing their license, and a court can show clemency if someone can prove “exceptional hardship” if their license is taken away.
For all common traffic violations, such as speeding, careless driving or using a mobile phone behind the wheel, penalty points can be accrued on a provisional driver’s license before you pass a driving test. provisional permit
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, said: ‘It is shocking to see so many learner drivers have demerit points on their provisional licenses – before anyone has even passed their full practical test.
“It is particularly disturbing to see a 20-year-old already accumulate 30 points on his provisional driver’s license at such an early point in his driving journey.
“We urge all motorists, whether they wear L plates or not, to put road safety first.”
Some of those appearing in the FOI data are motorists who have been forced to become ‘learn drivers’ again after their licenses have been revoked.
Provisional driver’s licenses held by individuals who identified as male and were between 20 and 29 years old accounted for nearly a third of the total number of provisional driver’s licenses with demerit points, totaling 170,044 points.
This may shed some light on the fact that it is younger drivers who tend to pay the highest insurance premiums, with 20-year-olds paying an average of £851 a year – about £400 more than the UK average of £436.
While it is illegal for insurance companies to discriminate based on gender, women find cheaper premiums on average than men, with male drivers paying about 17 percent more than their female counterparts.
When it comes to drivers who identify as female, there were two individuals with 23-point provisional licenses – who were 46 and 63 years old.
Female drivers between the ages of 30 and 39 have the highest number of demerit points on interim measures, with a total of 4,353 drivers.
The oldest learner drivers with points on their license are a 92-year-old female driver with three points and a 91-year-old male driver with nine points.
Graham Conway added: ‘This study serves as a reminder that all drivers, regardless of age or gender, and whether they hold a provisional or full driver’s license, must follow road rules and regulations to keep all road users safe.’
Select also acknowledges that there is currently a backlog in taking driving tests, with students facing waiting times of up to six months.
He added: ‘Long lead times for tests can lead learner drivers to rely on family and friends to guide them, rather than paying for expensive driving lessons on a regular basis.
“But this could lead them to adopt bad habits from ‘instructors’ who don’t have the professional skills to point out mistakes.”
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