Young drivers are increasingly putting lives at risk by dangerously overloading their vehicles with their friends, shocking new figures reveal.
As L plates are torn up and pass certificates handed out, it’s tempting to make the most of new-found freedom by cramming mates into the back seat and heading off for an adventure and its men who are the worst offenders.
Figures from the DVLA under Freedom of Information laws has shown the level of rule-breaking going on, with motoring experts warning of the serious danger to life it poses.
The number of under-25s slapped with a CU50 endorsement – the penalty for ‘causing or likely to cause danger through an unsafe load or passengers’ – has nearly doubled in just three years.
The DVLA figures show that 110 drivers aged 17 to 24 received the endorsement in 2022. By last year that figure had rocketed by 94% to 214, even as the number of cases among older drivers fell.
Across all ages almost 11,000 CU50 endorsements were handed out between 2022 and early 2026 – the equivalent of seven dangerous load incidents every day.
Graham Conway, managing director of leading vehicle leasing firm Select Car Leasing, which obtained the data, said, “These figures are genuinely alarming.
“Overloading a vehicle isn’t just a technical offence, it affects crucial factors such as braking distances, handling and tyre performance.
“At motorway speeds the consequences can be catastrophic.”
The figures also lay bare a dramatic geographical shift in where the offences are being committed.
While cases in London, which was historically the main hotspot, have plummeted by 27%, incidents elsewhere have soared.
The North East has seen them more than double, from 67 in 2022 to 158 in 2025. Within that the Teesside area has seen a near fourfold increase.
Scotland has recorded some of the sharpest rises of all, with the Highlands and Islands up a staggering 208% over the same period.
The CU50 endorsement is issued to drivers whose vehicle is so dangerously loaded, whether with cargo or passengers, that it poses a risk to other road users
It carries three penalty points and can remain on a licence for four years.
The young driver figures have drawn particular concern from experts. The 17-24 age group was the only demographic to see cases rise every year between 2022 and 2025.
Aside from cramming friends into their cars, overloading the boot when heading off to university or going on a holiday could also cause them to break the law.
Mr Conway adde, “Young drivers often don’t realise the danger they’re putting themselves and others in.
“This isn’t about minor rule-bending, a dangerously loaded car can become completely uncontrollable in an emergency. It’s vital to educate people before they get behind the wheel.”
The data also reveals a stark gender split, with men accounting for nearly nine in every 10 CU50 endorsements – a ratio that has remained consistent year on year.
