96 Points: Is This Britain’s Worst Driver?
By Blind Spot DriveBlog
96 Points: Is This Britain’s Worst Driver?
For what?
How Do Points on a License Work?
For most drivers, the accumulation of 12 penalty points in three years is enough to trigger a six-month ban, whereas new drivers face even more stringent rules, where the accumulation of six points within the first two years of holding a full license sees it automatically revoked, leaving the driver to retake both the theory and practical driving tests.
With rules like this, there must be some explanation for a driver to get 96 points on his or her license. How does one who has already earned more points than legally allowed still hit the road, gathering more? It is, really, a very confusing and irritating situation that shows some wide gaps in the system as it is.
Stoke-on-Trent Case: How Does One Get 96 Points?
A spokesperson with the local police said, in an X, formerly called Twitter post, that this monumental number was achieved quite simply by the driver continuing to break the law. “It’s quite simple,” they said, “if someone keeps driving while disqualified or without insurance, and they keep getting caught, they’ll keep accumulating points.”
It is not something that happens overnight, for every infraction worked its way through the courts adds more points onto a license, until over time, the snowball effect occurs that results in this type of astronomical figure demonstrated here. In fact, the ability of the driver to keep avoiding harsher punishment for such a long period shows weaknesses in the system that many now feel need to be changed.
Why is he not in Prison?
Police have given indications that this may change, with their request for the CPS to consider the pursual of an immediate custodial sentence. In their statement, they commented that his “clear lack of care for the law” deserved a harsher sentence.
Indeed, it is beyond one’s understanding how somebody who shows such flagrant disrespect for road safety and, indeed, the system of law has managed to avoid harsher consequences. But somehow, it seems part of the problem is the way traffic offenses have been dealt with in the UK. Where driving offenses carry a prison sentence on occasion, such as dangerous driving causing death or injury, most driving-related offenses result in fines, points, or a ban. Only in those circumstances where the courts consider that a driver is an ongoing danger to the public does imprisonment become a serious consideration.
It seems that the courts have, so far, not seen it appropriate to push the punishment handed out to the driver further than fines, although this can almost certainly be expected to change now that the police are pressing for more serious sentencing. The visible public consternation about this incident will also likely force the hand of the legal system to take action more strongly.
The Wider Problem: Are Points Enough of a Deterrent?
Records show, for example, that one 48-year-old man is driving around with 66 points on his license, while another notorious case was that of Ashley Peart, aged 27, who was caught speeding 24 times and ended up with an astonishing 144 points. In fact, thousands of drivers are continuing to drive legally on UK roads with more than 12 points, despite the threshold for those points usually being an absolute ban.
Which begs the question: Is the current points system an adequate deterrent? Quite patently, in some cases, it is not. Drivers who can persuade the court that losing their license would cause “exceptional hardship” are frequently treated leniently and remain on the road, when, according to their points tally, they should not.
The loss of license may lead to the loss of employment or inability to attend to family duties. While it is good that the courts should have scope for flexibility in their handling of individual cases, to opponents, the system is being manipulated by serial offenders who resort to threats of hardship just to avoid proper penalties.
Should Leniency Be Reconsidered?
With so many high-point offenders still on the roads, some reform is seemingly warranted. The very lenient approach that allows drivers to avoid disqualification in cases where they can prove exceptional hardship, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly controversial. Such leniency may indeed have a certain place in given cases; it is, however, very hard to argue that drivers with 96 or 144 points showed some kind of mercy.
The real implication of having such drivers on the road is that it puts not only their lives in danger but also the lives of others. As the campaigns for road safety have identified time and again, with every infringement committed, the possibilities of committing a serious accident multiply. The fact that these drivers have been caught multiple times identifies a pattern of behavior that is unlikely to alter without serious intervention.
There is also a growing demand for the exceptional hardship defense to be reviewed and for courts to start taking a more firm stand against repeat offenders. Some even go to the extent of saying that once a driver reaches a certain number-say 20 or 30 points-leniency can no longer be considered an option, whatever personal circumstances may prevail.
The Role of Technology: Could Automated Systems Help?
Apart from tightening up the legal system, some experts argue that more use of technology could be an important part of preventing high-point offenders remaining on the roads. For example, ANPR cameras already police the roads extensively throughout the UK to detect uninsured drivers and people driving cars without valid MOTs.
This technology could be further developed to flag drivers who have exceeded their points limit, automatically alerting the police to intercept them before they can cause further danger. Combining such data from the DVLA with real-time monitoring systems could allow police to more effectively target high-risk drivers and remove them from the road before they cause a serious accident.
Conclusion: Stronger Action Required The case of the 23-year-old Stoke-on-Trent driver who received 96 points is more than an isolated incident; it is a symptom of a greater problem within the system for traffic offenses in the UK. Where the points-based penalty system does indeed work in practice for the overwhelming majority of drivers, clearly there are those exploiting loopholes around them and avoiding such severe consequences of their dangerous behavior.
The time has come for a serious review of how we handle drivers who accumulate excessive points, with particular attention given to closing the gaps which allow these individuals to continue driving. It is now evident stronger action is required to protect the public from people with scant regard for the law, by means such as stricter court rulings, the abolition of leniency in exceptional cases, or further use of technology.
Ultimately, the safety of everyone on the road should be of concern, and the idea of drivers being allowed to continue driving even after accumulating dozens of points undermines this goal. If we want to avoid future tragedies, it’s time to make changes that ensure repeat offenders face the full weight of the law.
Image by Robert Fotograf from Pixabay.
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