Drivers face law change with 'mandatory training' over licence points

Drivers face new mandatory training after accruing points on their driving licence if calls by motoring experts are put into action.

A leading group has called for more measures to make drivers think twice before committing dangerous .

New research from has found that a significant number of road users in the UK have received several caused by racking up .

To help cut the number of points issued, Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at IAM RoadSmart, noted that drivers with penalties should be before getting back on the roads.

He explained: "Any driver that is on the cusp of a ban would normally take heed of the risk of losing their licence, but it seems that a minority continue to break the law without any consideration.

"At the very least, those that accrue 12 or more points on their licence should be required to take an additional training course, even if they are allowed to keep their licence because a court has deemed that losing it would cause exceptional hardship."

Under the current system, drivers who break a law could be issued with penalty points, which can cause the cost of future insurance premiums to rise significantly.

If motorists gain 12 or more points within three years, they will be given a driving ban for at least six months, with repeat offenders banned from driving for more than a year.

The system is stricter for younger drivers, however, with motorists who passed their test less than two years ago only needing to accumulate six points to get their licence revoked.

Whilst the system helps to make most motorists think twice before breaking the rules behind the wheel, IAM RoadSmart highlighted that there is a small yet shocking proportion of drivers who have accumulated a serious number of points.

According to research by the organisation, 50 road users have more than 30 points on their licence during the time they have been on the road, with three accumulating more than 100.

Currently, the highest number of licence points belongs to a 26-year-old motorist, who has racked up no fewer than 176 points in under a decade.

Nevertheless, Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation, agreed that more action should be taken to re-educate offending motorists, calling for a more transparent system to be put in place.

He advised: "A bit more transparency in the system might ensure the right balance is being struck between personal mobility and our collective safety.

"It could also improve public confidence in justice. Exceptional hardship needs to be truly exceptional."