ROAD safety charity Brake is demanding tougher treatment for drivers who endanger lives by repeatedly breaking the law.
New research reveals that 43 per cent of drivers across Britain who clock up 12 points are not being disqualified.
This is despite breaking vital safety laws such as driving uninsured, using a mobile phone at the wheel and speeding.
Brake and Direct Line analysed data provided by the DVLA and found that 10,072 drivers who have totted up 12 points or more have kept their licence and are still driving, while 13,449 drivers with 12 points or more are disqualified.
London and the South East, the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside each have more than 1,000 of these drivers still on public roads.
Analysis of the worst drivers, with 25 points or more, shows that 13 have committed uninsured driving offences, while 13 have been given points for speeding or failing to identify the driver of the vehicle.
Other offences include driving without due care and attention, mobile phone offences and defective vehicles.
Although drivers can expect a ban of at least six months when they reach 12 points, many are successfully pleading that being disqualified would cause ‘exceptional hardship’.
Brake and Direct Line can also reveal from the data the worst drivers still on the roads, the number of points they have, offences they have committed and which area they come from.
For instance a driver in Bradford has totted up 32 points on their licence, the most in Great Britain, after being caught driving uninsured four times, receiving eight points for each offence.
In Manchester a driver was caught driving uninsured five times and has kept their licence, receiving six points for four of the offences, and seven points for the fifth.
And there are five drivers with 30 points on their licence. They are from Stoke-on-Trent, Northampton, Nottingham, Blackburn and Derby.
Brake campaigns director Julie Townsend said:“We are asking the government to act quickly to address this appalling situation. Clearly when the points system was designed, it wasn’t intended that nearly half of drivers with 12 points would evade disqualification.
“It is outrageous these individuals, who rack up offence after offence, are allowed to continue driving, causing enormous risk to the public. Drivers who repeatedly flout traffic laws have shown complete disregard for the lives of other road users.
“They have also had ample opportunity to desist breaking the law before reaching 12 points and facing disqualification.
“It’s time for the government to get tough with these selfish, irresponsible and potentially deadly drivers, and put a stop to their illegal and dangerous driving before it results in a devastating crash.”