driving licence – Pulpaddict

Five most common driving offences revealed

Speeding remains the most common offence on British roads with almost 200,000 people caught between January and March this year alone, according to the latest data.

A Freedom of Information request by leading temporary car insurance provider Cuvva to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) highlighted the top five mistakes drivers made in the first quarter of 2023 that resulted in penalty points being added to their licence.

Most drivers issued with penalty points for exceeding the limit on public roads (156,457) were hit with an SP30 offence code – particularly worrying because speed is one of the main factors in fatal road accidents.

After speeding, the next most common offence was driving uninsured. Despite it being a legal requirement, the data shows a staggering 10,286 drivers took to the road without cover (IN10).

If you are caught driving a car uninsured in the UK, you could be faced with a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points. If the case goes to court, you could get an unlimited fine or even lose your driving licence.

In some cases, the police have the ability to seize or even destroy the car that is being driven uninsured.

Using a mobile phone at the wheel (CU80) is one of the fastest rising driving offences (35% up on the same period last year). This reflects a crackdown after changes to the Highway Code last year made it illegal to even touch your phone while driving. That includes browsing playlists when queueing in traffic.

The fifth most-common driving offence that led to penalty points was for car owners failing to give information regarding who was driving their car when an offence was committed (MS90).

Five most common road offences

SP30: Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road – 156,457 drivers
SP50: Exceeding speed on a motorway – 38,386 drivers
IN10: Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks – 10,286 drivers
CU80: Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone – 7,135 drivers
MS90: Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc – 5,224 drivers

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Motorists beware: Check your driving licence

Gareth Herincx

3 days ago
Auto News

More than one in five UK drivers could face a £1,000 fine for driving with an expired licence, a new study suggests.

Research by the car insurance team at Comparethemarket revealed the lack of awareness among motorists regarding the expiration of their driving licence.

More than one in 10 (11.6%) drivers admit they were unaware that their driving licence has an expiry date.

This knowledge gap is even greater among younger drivers, with one in six 17-34-year-olds admitting they were unaware of this.

Nearly a third (32%) of motorists have driven with an expired licence within the last two to five years.

“It’s concerning that our research shows over one in 10 British motorists are unaware that their driving licence has an expiry date,” said Julie Daniels Comparethemarket.

“Continuing to drive with an expired driving licence – knowingly or unknowingly – could land you with a fine of up to £1,000. To avoid serious consequences by having a fraudulent driving licence, it’s vital to renew your licence as soon as it expires.

“Driving licences expire every 10 years, so you should familiarise yourself with the expiry date on your licence and create a reminder to renew it.

“The DVLA will also send you a reminder when your licence is due to expire, so make sure to keep your contact details up to date.”

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Why young people are stalling on driving

Gareth Herincx

2 days ago
Auto Blog

New research by IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, gives an insight into why 17 to 24-year-olds have put the brakes on learning to drive.

Of 1,000 young drivers surveyed, cost concerns were number one reason why youngsters have been put off learning to drive.

The price of lessons and the cost of running car were closely followed by the price of taking the driving test itself.

“Our research shows that among young people the cost of learning to drive is a major deterrent to getting that licence which would open up many more job opportunities and increase their personal mobility,” said Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart.

“No doubt, the increase in numbers going into higher education, and the rise of cheap taxi-hailing mobile applications have also fuelled the driving decline.

“Many young people lack the financial confidence to commit to running a car, especially when relatively cheap alternative forms of travel are available.”

Interestingly, the survey also explored which alternatives would make young drivers consider giving up driving a personal car.

Improved public transport was the prevailing sentiment, with 30% of those surveyed stating that free bus travel would make them consider exchanging their keys for a bus pass.

Also, 27% disclosed that cheaper rail fares would persuade them to give up driving their own vehicle, whilst 22% said modern forms of public transport like trams would prompt them to ditch their car.

Which of the following, if any, put you off learning to drive at first?

Costs of the lessons	29%
The cost of running a car once you had passed	29%
The costs of the tests	28%
Fear of driving	26%
Waiting lists on tests	20%
Finding / buying a car for after I had passed	20%
Finding the time	19%
Feeling like you didn’t need a car to get around	14%
Recommendations from family / friends not to drive	11%

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