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Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Head of Data Sharing Policy & FOI Team – D16
Longview Road
Morriston
Swansea
SA6 7JL
Email us at:
Website:
www.gov.uk/browse/driving
Your Ref:
Our Ref:
FOIR4947
Date:
19 October 2015
Dear
Freedom of Information Request
Thank you for your e-mail dated 12 October requesting information under the terms
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
You asked for:
I should like to request the following information under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
We understand circa 45.5 million people hold a driving license, of those;
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses with no convictions or
penalty points?
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses with 3 or fewer penalty
points?
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses with 6 or fewer penalty
points?
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses with 9 or fewer penalty
points?
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses with 12 or fewer penalty
points?
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses with more than 12 penalty
points?
Please confirm the total number of driving licenses?
DVLA’s drivers database changes constantly as the Agency receives driving licence
applications and other information that updates the records of individual drivers.
Therefore, it is possible only to provide a snapshot of the state of the record at the
time of any request. It should be noted that there can be a delay between the
notification of penalty points and of the sentence imposed by the Court. These can
update the driver record separately.
The attached spreadsheet provides the number of driving licence holders with
penalty points, broken down by number of points and gender.
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DVLA’s drivers database holds 46,762,863 driving licences. The figures provided
reflect the position of the drivers database as at 26 September 2015.
Whilst DVLA maintains a record of all GB fixed penalties and Court ordered
endorsements, the Agency has no responsibility for or influence on Court imposed
sentences.
In England and Wales, the Magistrates Courts Sentencing Guidelines produced by
the Sentencing Council provide a framework setting out how to establish the
seriousness of each case and the most appropriate way of dealing with it. This helps
the Magistrates Courts ensure that any penalty reflects the seriousness of the
offence and the personal circumstances of the offender.
In Scotland, Sentencers determine each case on its merits and give full
consideration to the most appropriate way of dealing with it. The penalty imposed
reflects the seriousness of the offence and the personal circumstances of the
offender.
The statistics provided are likely to include cases where drivers have received court
sentences including disqualification, supervision orders, community punishment
orders or imprisonment. Where sentences have been imposed other than through
the totting up process, the penalty points follow standard periods of validity according
to the offences concerned. Following the period of disqualification imposed, drivers
can re-apply for their licence meaning that they can have a high number of valid
penalty points and current entitlement to drive, even though the sentence of the court
has been served.
In a small percentage of cases where the driver has accumulated 12 or more penalty
points, the Agency understands that a Court can exercise its discretion and not
disqualify the driver. In the majority of these cases, Magistrates or Sentencers may
have decided to allow drivers to retain their entitlement to drive where it is
considered that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship.
DVLA checks with courts when a driver’s 12 current penalty point threshold is met or
exceeded but where a disqualification is not imposed at the time of the conviction.
The Agency takes this action to confirm that this is the intention of the Court and to
help ensure DVLA records motoring convictions and sentences as accurately as
possible.
The information which follows concerns the procedures for making any complaint
you might have about the reply. Please quote the reference number of this letter in
any future communications about it.
Yours sincerely
ppRobert Toft
Head of Data Sharing Policy & Freedom of Information Team
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Your right to complain to DVLA and the Information Commissioner
If you are not happy with the reply to your request, you can ask DVLA to re-consider
the response you received by writing (within two calendar months of receiving this
response) to either [email protected].uk or DVLA Freedom of Information Team,
DSPG/FOI, D16, DVLA, Swansea SA6 7JL.
DVLA will acknowledge and consider your request, re-visiting the response provided.
This is known as an Internal Review and will be considered by a staff member not
involved with the original reply.
If you disagree with the outcome of the Internal Review, you can complain to the
Information Commissioner’s Office. Further information can be found via:
https://ico.org.uk/concerns/getting/ Alternatively you may wish to write to: Customer
Contact, Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow
SK9 5AF.
