Wakefield and Halifax drivers among the most law-breaking

To prevent dangerous drivers from using the roads, penalty points are applied to driving licences, which when accumulated can lead to bans and disqualification.

They can be applied for a number of offences including speeding, driving without due care and attention, using a mobile phone and drink or drug-driving offences.

The study conducted by car leasing comparison site Moneyshake analysed the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) driving licence data to find the number of issued driving licences and applied penalty points in each postcode area of Great Britain.

Topping the list is Halifax, where drivers have a huge 11,402 points across 125,106 licences, meaning on average, one in 33 people have three points on their licences.

Drivers in Wakefield have emerged as the area where people have the third highest amount of points on their licences, where drivers have 33,070 points across 407,037 licences – which means that Wakefield has 55% more points than the average for Great Britain.

Eben Lovatt, CEO of Moneyshake said: “To avoid landing points on your licence you need to be cautious when you're on the road and adhere to driving laws. If drivers get 12 or more penalty points within three years, they can be banned from driving and for new drivers, if they get six or more points within two years of passing their test, their licence can be cancelled or revoked. Any points from a provisional licence will also be carried over once the driver passes their test.

"The more serious the offence, the more points drivers will gain on their licence, and they can stay on your driving record for four to 11 years. Points for most offences last for four years, so it’s sometimes possible to have more than 12 points on your licence but still be allowed to drive if the offences are spread out.”