More than 8000 drivers have 12 or more points on their licence - and are still allowed on the roads

You have to wonder if those "people" have a conscience.

Probably not, until if, say, they ran-over and killed a child while being banned from driving.

Then, of course, they would shed crocodile tears for sympathy in court to get a lighter sentence, obviously, the bastards.

So what was Chris Huhne thinking about? It appears that he could have saved himself a lot of trouble by simply hiring a good lawyer.

We live in a society ruled by the tyranny of the motor car. This is what has to stop.

Sentences handed down to car drivers for the carnage they create are truly derisory. It is easier to get away with killing someone by using a motor vehicle as the weapon of choice than by any other means. To some extent, this is down to the "There, but for the grace of God go I" mentality of jurors, magistrates and judges but, if there is any better example of societal denial for the damage caused by one's actions, the death, destruction and plain unpleasantness caused by the apparent acceptance that "the motorist is king" is hard to beat. As I, and many others have found, Politicians, Police and CPS do very little to inspire any confidence that this will ever change.

Elsewhere in these forums we have a recent example of a motorist assaulting a cyclist and escaping with a mere caution whereas a recent case involving a cyclist assaulting a motorist attracted a conviction of assault despite both the cyclist and the driver in these cases having prior clean records, so why the disparity in sentencing? It is quite apparent that, if you are a motorist, you can get away with (and, indeed, expect to get away with) far more than should realistically be expected in what we would like to consider a "just" society. Is it really any surprise, then, that we have thousands of drivers who should have been disqualified still at large?

There is very clearly a lack of political will to make motorists truly accountable for their actions. This has been going on for years and sanctioned by all political parties, the Police and the CPS.

Until we get a government with something more than sub-zero going on in the gonad area which then results in them standing up to the motorist lobby, then this will continue.

As someone who has driven for decades, the total number of points I have had during this time is zero.

There must be no more flexibility. No more feeble excuses: 'but I need to drive because of my job / elderly mother / family'.

These dangerous bastards need to be banned, plus no new licence until they have gone back to L plates and passed the extended test.

People who accrue 12 points could argue that they will face "exceptional risk" if they are banned from driving because there will have to walk/cycle on roads with 8000 drivers with over 12 points on their licence, making it too dangerous.

I'm so angry about this WTF etc.

Can't be bothered to look into it any further. But just REALLY ANGRY, mental furious.

Surely the exceptional hardship defence should only be allowed once, maximum twice (i.e. no more than 15 points) and then the court must take a look and say - you have to learn to obey the law, any more points and it will be an immediate ban. Make that part of the condition of not taking the licence away the first time and enforce some form of 'responsibility' for one's own actions... Or would that seem too sensible in a climate where there's blame and nothing is ever your fault, it was always someone else.

WTF !!!!!

Exceptional hardship ... Well tough I say. You break the
law you pay the price - no exceptions !

There has long been a culture of the Sacred Driving Licence in which dangerous driving is tolerated. It really is time that we ended this culture. It is time that we dependence with the defence of "exceptional hardship", these are all repeat offenders, and also brought in a law of Strict Liability which would make it completely clear that drivers ARE responsible for their actions.

Or even, anyone "HERE", soz.

On the other hand, daughters BF was recently handed 3 points on previously clean licence for having a flat tyre. Just sayin' - I'm as astonished as anyone her that this "system" is so open to corruption.

Driving is too often seen as a right, & driving offences minor. The points system needs to have a muliplier on bnoth points and fines, and be an absolute ban at 12, not this namby-pamby softness cos the driver whinges hardship. That is exactly why they should lose the licence - to suffer and learn a lesson.

The undisputed blame lies at the feet of the courts. They are soft and pathetic when it comes to the sob stories listed by defending solicitors.

This has to stop and i bet the vast majority of these drivers dont even tell their insurance companies they have the points.

As long as the premium is getting paid the ins co dont give a damn.

Beggars belief. Remind me what it is that the police and DVLA get paid to do again? This country is a joke sometimes.

In your piece it doesn't say when the IAM requested the information, because I seem to remember a very similar story about drivers still retaining licenses after amassing points around 1 to 2 years ago.

Everybody was rightly outraged then as well, but nothings happened to change the status quo.

In the land of the motorway the half blind driver is king.

36 points?! Well obviously he doesn't give a toss then does he? FFS

I'd like to know who's insuring these people.

Quote:

unless there are the most exceptional circumstances.

no exceptions! that is why we are where we are

makes a mockery of the idea of points, it makes a mockery of drivers being licensed when they can do as they please safe in the knowledge the licence will not be revoked.

Plead hardship and drive away from the court.

how does anyone allow themselves to get more than 1! ffs.