by
Autonet Insurance
| May 05, 2011
Road safety campaigners have called for urgent action after it emerged that a Swindon motorist has not been banned despite amassing 39 penalty points on the licence.
The DVLA revealed the shocking figure in response to a Freedom of Information request from BBC West.
Drivers with points on their licence could see their car insurance premiums go up.
The DVLA refused to reveal the name of the motorist and did not say why the offender collected so many points.
A spokeswoman from road safety charity Brake said the driver should have been banned.
She said: "It is crucial that driving licence bans are issued when a driver receives 12 points on their licence, in all but very exceptional cases.
"Any driver that exceeds this has shown that they repeatedly break the law and are a hazard to other road users.
"A ban acts as a punishment, allowing the driver time to reflect and also protecting other road users who would be at risk if a driver like this was allowed to continue driving unabated."
The DVLA also revealed that a total of 638 motorists in Bristol, Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire have 12 or more points.
Twelve points usually would mean a temporary ban for a driver unless it is shown to cause exceptional hardship.
© Press Association 2011