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
‘Once in a lifetime’ package holidays to Iceland from Manchester have returned for winter
Emily Sergeant
Jet2 has relaunched its ‘once in a lifetime’ trips to Iceland direct from Manchester just in time for the winter months.
It’s no secret that Iceland is a common feature on people’s bucket lists, right? Packed with natural wonders and home to culture-filled capital city, Iceland is the ultimate winter getaway.
No matter whether you want to sample fresh seafood, explore everything Reykjavik has to offer, or use it as a base for some unforgettable excursions, Iceland is known for delivering the perfect mix of adventure and city break appeal.
And now, with holidaymakers already flocking in their thousands to book flights to this stunning Nordic destination for next winter, the UK’s largest operator of city breaks has just relaunched its biggest-ever Iceland programme – with dozens of direct flights from Manchester Airport.
People travelling from Manchester can choose from up to six weekly flights, meaning they have even more opportunity during some of the most popular winter travel periods.
Jet2 has relaunched its ‘once in a lifetime’ winter package holidays to Iceland direct from Manchester / Credit: Nicolas J Leclrercq | Tom Podmore (via Unsplash)
As well as providing customers with ‘plenty of flexibility’ when it comes to which month or period they want to travel, Jet2 says the flights are also ‘perfectly timed’ for those who are keen to get a chance at witnessing the spectacular Northern Lights in all their glory.
As it stands, scheduled Monday and Friday services will operate throughout the season from 4 October to 6 December 2027, before resuming from 28 January to 24 April 2028, and this increases to up to six weekly services during school holidays.
There’s both direct flight-only trips to book, or package options with Jet2CityBreaks direct from Manchester – which include flights with Jet2.com, 22kg hold luggage, transfers to and from the airport, and a choice of hotels in central Reykjavik, all for a deposit as little as £60 per person.
‘Enough is enough’ – Andy Burnham issues emphatic statement on Avanti West Coast nationalisation
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring, the Government has confirmed.
After it was revealed back in 2024 to be the UK’s most ‘unreliable’ train operator, according to a shocking study, with 15.36% of its trains cancelled or delayed on average, it has now been confirmed that Avanti – which runs the West Coast Main Line from Manchester to London – will be transferred over to public ownership in March 2027.
Before this, the company had previously been given until 1 April 2023 to continue running the route, but was told it needed to ‘drastically improve’ its services if it was to stand any chance of having the contract extended further beyond that date.
Despite many customers continuing to voice discontent with level of services during this time, the Department for Transport (DfT) under the previous Conservative government deemed ‘significant improvements had been made’.
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring / Credit: Avanti (Press Images)
Now though, in the year 2026 with a Labour government in power at Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the helm, it has been confirmed that Avanti West Coast will be nationalised.
The Government says the services will be ‘run in the interests of passengers, not private sector shareholders’.
“From 7 March, taxpayers will no longer be paying fees to a private operator. Instead, every penny will be spent for the benefit of passengers,” the Labour Party said in a statement.
Andy Burnham has also issued his own emphatic statement on the matter.
Enough is enough.
For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in…
He wrote on X: “Enough is enough. For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
“So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in March next year. That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first.
“More investment, fewer delays, and a renewed focus on getting the basics right.
“We’re putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for the people who use it.”
Andy Mellors, who is the Managing Director at Avanti West Coast, added in his own statement: “Over the coming months, we’ll work closely with the Government to ensure a seamless transition into public ownership while remaining focused on delivering for our customers and communities.”
Danny Jones -
13th November 2022 
