Over 10,000 UK Drivers Retain Licenses Despite Excessive Penalty Points

A 26-year-old with 176 points highlights concerns over the enforcement of driving bans and the definition of 'exceptional hardship.'

More than 10,000 drivers in the UK continue to hold valid licenses despite having accrued 12 or more penalty points.
Under normal circumstances, drivers are banned after accumulating 12 points within three years, unless they claim exceptional hardship.
A 26-year-old male driver has accumulated 176 penalty points, the highest recorded, without losing his license.
Calls are growing for mandatory retraining for repeat offenders and a reassessment of what constitutes exceptional hardship.
The DVLA monitors cases where bans are not imposed and communicates with courts to ensure decisions align with judicial intentions.