9:22am Monday 6th September 2010
By Lucy Richardson
A DRIVER from the region clocked up 54 points on his licence before he was banned, it was reported yesterday.
Thought to be the worst offender in the country, the 27- year-old man from Stockton, totted up four-and-a-half times the number of black marks that should have triggered an automatic ban, according to an article in a national newspaper.
He was one of 11,000 offenders allowed to get behind the wheel during the past year despite having more than 12 points for motoring offences.
The road safety charity, Brake, has described the high numbers of people dodging the penalty as appalling.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by The Sunday Times revealed 31,110 drivers were banned last year for reaching 12 points.
Yet 11,226 people were let off for the same offence and 176 motorists were permitted to carry on driving despite amassing more than 20 points.
Information released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) showed that the persistent offender from Stockton, who has not been identified, committed his first misdemeanour in 2007.
He was caught using a mobile phone, which cost him three points.
Last autumn, he twice failed to give police information to identify who was driving when a suspected offence was committed and over the next four months he was given six further convictions for the same offence.
He was again caught illegally using his mobile phone and was also convicted of driving “otherwise than in accordance with a licence” in April before he was finally banned on August 2.
Caroline Perry, from Brake, said: “By breaking the law, these drivers have shown a wilful disregard for the safety of other road users.”
Edmund King, president of the Automobile Association, said the figures were “remarkably high”.
“This makes a mockery of the whole system and seems unfair on the majority of drivers who do keep below 12 points,” he added.
The courts service said that motorists were let off from disqualification in only a small percentage of cases.
The DVLA is responsible for providing courts with drivers’ convictions, but said it does not actively alert magistrates to all anomalies or query why a motorist has not been banned after reaching the 12-point limit.
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