Uswitch car insurance recently conducted research to investigate the top driving offences from June 2023 to June 2024.
Out of the total 1,141,283 offences recorded during this period, 961,530 were issued for exceeding speed limits on public roads or motorways (categories SP30 and SP50).
When someone is convicted of a driving offence, their driving licence is ‘endorsed’ with penalty points that remain on their record for 4 or 11 years, depending on the severity of the offence. The points can increase insurance premiums and result in driving disqualifications or even criminal prosecution in major cases.
The top 5 most common driving offences
There were a total of 1,141,283 offences committed over the year, which works out around 95,107 per month.
Speeding is the most common driving offence in the UK
The top two driving offences were both related to speeding, with 961,530 endorsements issued for exceeding statutory speed limits on public roads or motorways. These collectively accounted for 84% of all endorsements.
UK drivers are driving without insurance
The third most common offence was driving without third-party insurance, with just over 43,300 convictions issued, highlighting the importance of ensuring your policy is valid and up-to-date.
Both speeding offences (SP30 / SP50) and using a device whilst driving (CU80) can result in being issued 3 to 6 penalty points. If a vehicle owner fails to provide information around the identity of the driver operating the vehicle at the time of an alleged offence (MS90), they can receive 6 penalty points.
When driving a vehicle without adequate insurance (IN10), drivers can face up to 8 penalty points. Accumulating 12 or more points in a 3 year period can result in a driving ban, so being caught just twice for any of these offences could have a major impact.
Uswitch car insurance expert, Leoni Moninska, explains how penalty points can impact your car insurance, “Penalty points can increase insurance premiums, and how much they increase depends on the severity of the offence, the number of points you receive and whether the driver has existing penalty points on their licence.
“For example, the average price of car insurance is £882 per year, according to the Confused.com price index, but the lowest available annual premium for a driver convicted of failing to give information as to the driver’s identity (MS90) is £2,079, almost £1,200 more than the average annual policy.
“If you receive penalty points it’s important you tell your insurer. Whether you inform them straight away or at renewal depends on the policy terms and conditions. Failing to inform your insurer can invalidate your policy which subsequently results in further penalty points, a fine and the risk of being banned from driving.”
