More than 100,000 Brits are banned from driving in the UK, new data from the DVLA has revealed.
The equivalent of one in every 431 licence holders are currently disqualified from driving, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
Motorists can be banned from driving if they accumulate 12 points or more on their licence, or if they are convicted of a driving offence.
A court will often decide how long the ban is depending on the severity of the offence.
Racking up 12 points can lead to a ban of between six months to two years depending on how many times the driver has been disqualified before. Some drivers even have to take their test again before they can legally drive again.
Previous studies suggested that around 135,000 motorists were banned from driving in 2021, suggesting that numbers have risen by around 3% in the past couple of years to the current total of 139,751.
Nicholas Shaw, of Dayinsure, who submitted the Freedom of Information request, said: “While the vast majority of UK motorists comply with the law, it is still alarming to see that so many motorists have been disqualified from driving due to dangerous and careless driving.
“The data highlights how vital it is for motorists to take extra care and attention when driving, as you never know what other road users might be doing – you sadly cannot just assume that others will drive as carefully as you would.
“Our final piece of advice would be to ensure that you are fully insured in case worse comes to worse and you are involved in an accident.”
Bradford in West Yorkshire has the highest proportion of banned drivers, with roughly one in 191 licence holders registered here currently not allowed to get behind the wheel.
These are the areas of the UK with the highest proportion of banned drivers:
- Bradford: One in 191 drivers banned (2,320 people disqualified)
- Liverpool: One in 204 drivers banned (3,184)
- Teesside: One in 231 drivers banned (2,008)
- Newport: One in 237 drivers banned (1,656)
- Wakefield: One in 239 drivers banned (1,732)
While Bradford has the highest proportion of banned drivers, London has the most disqualified drivers in total.
In total, 7,995 motorists registered in the capital are not drive. However, with over four million licence holders, that means that just one in every 544 ‘local’ drivers are currently banned – a lower rate than the national average.
The area with the second highest number of disqualified drivers is Birmingham, with over 4,000 motorists currently without a licence (4,296).
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel