Britain’s dangerous and bad drivers have been exposed.
The DVLA has confirmed to Moneyshake mobility services that 502,888 drivers have been disqualified from driving in the last four years, 86,000 drivers lose their licence per year excluding ‘totting up bans’, in 2021 alone, nearly 2,000 drivers have been banned every week so far, 3,767 drink drivers are banned every month in the UK, on average.
DVLA data shows that 21,240 drivers were banned between January 1 to March 20 this year.
These include:8,476 drink-drivers, or 771 per week; 5,725 drug-drivers, or 520 per week; 1,871 disqualified drivers, or 170 per week.
Drug driving offences have doubled since 2017.There were 11,972 drug-related bans recorded in 2017, but that figure now stands at nearly 20,000 (19,568) for 2020.
Over 68 thousand drug drivers have been prosecuted in the four-year period – an average of 1,337 each month, and a combined 34,085 years behind bars.
| More serious drink or drug offences, such as causing death, can lead to longer sentences of up to 14 years. Some 21 disqualified drivers are caught every day by UK police forces.Over 31,611 of disqualified drivers have been caught on the roads between 2017-2020 – that’s an average of 620 a month, or 21 every day.As with drink and drug driving offences, the fine for driving while disqualified is unlimited with a six-month prison sentence.Drivers banned for excessive speeding jumped by 60% between 2017 and 2019 and 17,155 drivers were banned for driving above the speed limit in the last four years.Nearly as many drivers lose their licence for dangerous driving as they do lack of insurance and research shows you’re just as likely to be caught as someone driving dangerously.With 14,512 insurance-related revokes and 13,909 for reckless driving, only 603 bans split the two offences.Both are subject to unlimited fines, while the latter also brings with it a two-year stint in jail for the maximum penalty. |
Four car thieves are banned from driving every day in the UK but the law currently allows them to “serve” their ban while in prison and can return to driving once they get out. Nearly 7,000 drivers were banned from driving for the theft of a vehicle between 2017-2021 – that’s 130 per month or four every day.Most surprising, however, is that as driving bans take effect immediately, they can expire before an imprisoned driver is even released.In the case of car theft, offenders could lose their licence for six months, but they can legally drive upon release if their prison term is equal to or longer than the ban.Legislation was amended for this reason, but it only allows for the ban to be extended by discretion rather than take effect after jail time. |
