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
Mollie’s Motel announces opening date in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Mollie’s Motel has announced the opening date of its hotel and diner in Manchester.
The brand, which promises value-luxe, design-led accommodation, will be opening in the Old Granada Studios next month.
This will be the most ambitious Mollie’s Motel to date, and its first city centre hotel and diner (the first were roadside sites in Oxfordshire and Bristol).
Inside, there’ll be 128 rooms across five floors, ranging from doubles to twins to bunk rooms, with prices starting at an incredibly reasonable £139.
There’ll also be studios and a selection of luxe suites featuring freestanding bathtubs, walk-in wardrobes and Peloton bikes – a new chapter for Mollie’s.
Also opening in the iconic former TV studio before the end of this year will be Soho House, with the members’ club taking over the top three floors.
Soho House Design has worked on the build of Mollie’s Motel to preserve the modernist facade of Old Granada Studios and make playful nods to the building’s vibrant history.
Studio IV at Mollie’s Motel in ManchesterStudio IV at Mollie’s Motel in ManchesterA VIP room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterA VIP room at Mollie’s Motel Manchester
It’s part of St John’s, the neighbourhood that is also home to venues like Caravan, Fenix, The Trading Route and Courts Club, and will have cultural institutions like the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Opera House and Aviva Studios on the doorstep.
Mollie’s Motel rooms in Manchester will nod to the building’s heritage with dark wood panelling, terrazzo and aged brass finishes, plus rainshowers, super king bed, Dyson Airwraps, GHD straighteners and Cowshed toiletries.
The sixth floor will be home to 23 bedrooms designed specifically for Soho House members, plus an 80sqm private apartment with two bedrooms and an open plan living room with kitchenette.
On the first floor, guests will have access to a state-of-the-art Soho House gym, with a free weights area, studio space, steam and sauna, plus a balcony with casual seating.
Mollie’s DinerThe green room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterMollie’s Motel Manchester now has an opening date
As for the diner aspect, Mollie’s Diner will have 110 seats plus private dining for 30, all designed in a mid-century style with classic counter seating and luxe leather banquettes inspired by the interior of a vintage Cadillac.
It continues with Studio IV, an open-plan cocktail bar with live music and entertainment, VIP bar and snug, and an outdoor heated terrace.
Mollie’s Motel will work with local artists to create bespoke artworks for the rooms and public spaces.
Bookings for Mollie’s Motel Manchester are now open HERE.
Manchester Airport announces six traders moving into new Terminal 2 food hall
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Airport has announced the six food and drink traders that will be moving into a new food hall that’s part of the new-look Terminal 2.
The terminal has been going through a major £1.3bn transformation, the next phase of which will include a first-of-its-kind market hall-style food and drink offering.
There’ll be six street food kitchens positioned around a central dining area in the Great Northern Market – and Manchester Airport bosses have now announced what will be on the menu.
The new Terminal 2 market hall will include a Nashville Hot House serving buttermilk chicken and other Southern comfort food; The Black Iron Grill with smash burgers and loaded fries; and Kouzina, with Greek and Mediterranean-inspired street food.
There’ll also be Mexican food from La Casita, pan-Asian dishes from Palms Cafe, and Napoli Street Pizza.
Those kitchens are all inspired by some of our city’s finest street eats, but there’ll be a proper local face too – Gooey will be selling sweet treats including their legendary cookies and doughnuts here.
The new announcement comes from Manchester Airport’s Retail Director, Richard Jackson, speaking on the airport’s official podcast Manchester: Your Airport, MAN.
Richard said: “The Great Northern Market will be Manchester Airport’s own market hall – six kitchens in one, more than 1,000 square metres and 500 seats.
Manchester Airport has announced the six food traders moving into its new food hall. Credit: Supplied
“It’s going to be a real hit with the Manchester crowd. Whatever you want, there’s something for everyone – and there will be a takeaway option as well, so you can eat in this huge 500-seat market hall area with plenty of seating, or you can just grab something to take on your flight.
“As you can imagine, it’s a very complicated build because we’re not just doing the one kitchen, we’re doing six, but it’s coming along well and we’re really excited to share it with our passengers.”
Jake Ansbro, co-founder of Gooey, added: “Gooey was born in Manchester, and the city has supported us from day one. Opening at Manchester Airport feels like a dream next step — a chance to share a little bit of what we do with people travelling across the world.
“We’re so excited to be part of The Great Northern Market celebrating Manchester next to some other amazing operators.”
The Great Northern Market will be one of more than 20 new shops and restaurants opening in T2 as part of the second phase of the transformation programme.
Once complete, the project will more than double the size of Terminal 2 and turn it into Manchester Airport’s main hub, with Terminal 1 set to close.
Danny Jones -
13th November 2022 
