We all know someone who has racked up a few points on their driving licence, whether it’s a family member of that boy racer mate whose car you always avoid getting in at all costs.
However, it would seem many of our preconceptions about the so-called ‘worst’ drivers are completely misguided, according to a study carried out by confused.com.
Researching Britain’s motorists using Freedom of Information requests to the DVLA, the finance and insurance company found that there are over 2.66 million drivers with points on their licences in the UK.
Even more interestingly, the data seemed to show that despite the relatively common perception that either younger or older people are perhaps not the safest of drivers, neither of these groups ranked highest on the list of those with driving offences. It was, in fact, middle-aged drivers.
Middle-aged drivers commit the most offences
That’s right, despite those who have only recently passed their test or more senior drivers often being perceived as the biggest liabilities on the road, the most common age bracket was 30 to 34, with approximately 6,522 per 100,000 drivers (6.52%) having been given points on their licence.
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Credit: Wikimedia Commons
35-39 came in second with 6,397 and 40-44 came in third with 6,345.
Conversely – and while they obviously haven’t been on the road as long as others – it was found that those under 19 had the least offences; by some distance as well, with just 352 points per 100,000 drivers.
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While drivers with provisional licences may be included in this figure, it’s still worth noting. Moreover, the oldest age group (95 and over) with 2,186 drivers aged 95 and over per 100,000 (2.19%) having been penalised.
Once again, there are obviously far fewer drivers within this age group and making less journeys but as you can see in the full report, motorists with the most penalty points tend to bunch up between the ages of 30 and 59.
In terms of individual ages, those who are aged 32 are apparently the most likely to have points on their licence. The data reveals that 6,615 per 100,000 32-year-old drivers currently have points on their UK driver’s licence.
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Which sex picks up more points?
Their research also indicated which sex tends to be penalised most on the road, with men being over twice as likely to have points on their driving licence than women.
There was actually a fairly big difference in the number of penalty points accrued: only 3,187 out of every 100,000 female drivers (3.19%) have penalty points on their licence, whereas the rate for men was around 7,158 per 100,000 (7.16%).
So, while there are roughly similar numbers of men and women on the roads (26.4 million compared to 24 million), 1.9 million men have points compared to around 766,000 women.
Hey, don’t look at us — the numbers don’t lie and it’s you lot doing the driving.
The most common kind of penalty offence committed in the UK was breaking the speed limit on a public road with 2,158,179 offences, followed by speeding on motorways.
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As for the areas where drivers are most likely to pick up points, you’ll be glad to hear that Greater Manchester wasn’t even in the top 25 most serial offenders. Cheshire was the closest in 19th place, with around 8.22% of drivers in the region currently holding possessing points on their licence.
Do any of these revelations come as a surprise to you or are you simply so good impeccable driver that you assume everyone is just as suspect as each other?
Featured Image — Samuele Errico Piccarini (via Unsplash)
Travel & Tourism
Train tickets slashed by up to 50% in huge Rail Sale across the UK
Daisy Jackson
A huge rail sale has gone live with thousands of train journeys around the UK slashed in price by up to 50%.
Almost all UK train operators are taking part in the sale, which falls around the 200th anniversary of UK Rail.
There are more discounted tickets available than ever before, from short jaunts to neighbouring cities like Leeds and Sheffield to further-flung trips like Edinburgh and London.
It’s hoped that this huge rail sale will encourage more people to travel by train, and comes as the Government continues its overhaul of the railways.
Millions of train tickets are available at half the price, between 14 January and 20 January.
The sale applies to select advance and off-peak fares on travel between 17 January and 31 March 2025.
These offers won’t last long, and only apply to a limited number of tickets, so you’ll want to move fast to snap up a bargain.
It’s reported that last year’s rail sale saved passengers £5.8 million in total.
Secretary of State, Heidi Alexander, said: “I’m launching the biggest ever rail sale so more passengers can get big discounts on train tickets to visit destinations across the country.
“Whether you’re planning a getaway or wanting to visit friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions on all sorts of journeys.
Train tickets slashed by up to 50% in huge Rail Sale across the UK. Credit: Unsplash, Fraser Cottrell
“Make the most of this sale, get your tickets while you can!”
The 2025 rail sale comes on the 200th anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger train with celebrations expected throughout the year as part of Railway 200.
Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group, said: “This year, as we celebrate 200 years of railways in the UK, we’re reminded that rail travel is about much more than simply getting from A to B – it’s about bringing people, communities and opportunities together.
“Over 2 centuries, rail has become a vital part of the UK, shaping the economy and lives of millions.
“The year’s rail sale will offer over 2 million discounted advance fares starting on 14 January 2025, which is a great way to save on your travel and celebrate 200 years of railway connections.”
Next step – making that train between Manchester and London a bit more affordable every day of the year…
Peak District beauty spot Mam Tor gridlocked at dawn as people flock to viral sunrise spot
Daisy Jackson
One of the Peak District’s most iconic beauty spots has been overrun with visitors over the weekend, despite snowy and icy conditions.
Mam Tor was surrounded by gridlock on Sunday morning, with videos also showing visitors sliding back down the hill on their bums, unable to walk down the icy terrain.
Scenes at the summit show crowds of people jostling to soak in the views surrounded by snow.
In recent weeks the already-popular destination has gotten even more busy, going viral on social media for its sunrises.
It’s seen people rising before dawn to hike the short distance to the Mam Tor summit, where you can see the sun rise over the beautiful Peak District.
Hundreds of people flocked to watch the sunrise despite the Mam Tor car park being closed because of ‘a lot of snow and ice on the ground’.
It led to lengthy queues of traffic, with one person saying ‘cars were just sat not moving for at least 30 minutes’.
Crowds at the top of Mam Tor in the Peak District for sunriseTraffic around Mam TorCredit: TikTok, mum.life.travels
In the video shared of the traffic, they wrote: “If you can find the time and energy, it’s honestly worth the extra effort to park up at one of the surrounding village car parks and hike over. The views on the way over are unreal and very quiet. I’d expect some of those people missed most of the sunrise.”
Peak Travel Watch also shared photos of the gridlock near Mam Tor, writing: “The top of Winnats pass to Mam Tor car park is single file due to parked cars.
“The person parked on the Blue John cavern corner was my favourite, absolutely ridiculous and so dangerous.”
The Hope Valley Police Safer Neighbourhood Team attended and slapped 21 drivers with a Notice of Intended Prosecution for parking on a Clearway.
They wrote: “Upon our arrival, we were met with chaos as traffic was at a standstill in both directions. In order to clear the traffic, we had to temporarily close the top of Winnats Pass for approximately 20 minutes.
“This was necessary due to nearly 30 vehicles being parked illegally at the top of Winnats Pass, all the way to the junction at the top.”
Buxton Mountain Rescue also reported difficulties attending a nearby incident due to ‘the number of visitors cars parked on the road around Mam Tor’.
While Mam Tor is considered one of the easier walks in the national park, walkers have been arriving completely unprepared for the icy weather conditions.
One person commented on a video of people sliding down the hill: “Uggs and trainers. No walking boots, spikes or poles in sight. Just what mountain rescue love to see… Well done TikTok for spoiling a beautiful place.”
Someone else wrote: “Bunch of idiots. Just being taken over by a load who just want an Insta photo.”
If you’re heading out on a walk or hike in the countryside, make sure you’re being respectful of local communities and environments, and that you’re suitable dressed and equipped for the weather conditions, which can change quickly in the hills.
You can see the latest Mountain Rescue safety advice HERE.
Travel chaos at Mam Tor this weekend, cars were just just sat not moving for at least 30 minutes. If you can find the time and energy, it’s honestly worth the extra effort to park up at one of the surrounding village car parks and hike over – the views on the way over are unreal and very quiet. I’d expect some of those people missed most of the sunrise 😭 #mamtorsunrise#mamtor
Danny Jones -
13th November 2022 
