On average 33 new drivers had their licences revoked each day in 2018, a new Freedom of Information request has uncovered.

The data revealed that 11,953 new drivers had their licences revoked under the New Drivers Act in 2018, and almost two-thirds of that total was made up of drivers aged between 17 and 24. These drivers lost their licences after gaining six penalty points within two years of passing their test.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at Brake the road safety charity, which requested the information via a Freedom of Information request, said: “It’s shocking that so many new drivers are racking up enough penalty points to have their licences revoked so soon after passing their test, in particular, those in the 17-24 age bracket.

It reflects statistics which show that drivers aged between 17 and 24 are disproportionately at risk on the UK’s roads. They make up a fifth of all drivers killed and seriously injured, despite only making up seven per cent of all licence holders.

The New Drivers Act, introduced in 1995, sees a drivers’ licences cancelled if they get six penalty points or more within two years of passing their driving test.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, which commissioned the Freedom of Information request, said: “It’s shocking that so many new drivers are racking up enough penalty points to have their licences revoked so soon after passing their test, in particular, those in the 17-24 age bracket.

“It clearly demonstrates that we need to make our licensing system more robust so that when a driver passes their test, they have all the necessary tools and knowledge to drive safely on all roads and in all conditions. Fortunately, there is a proven solution which can deliver this, graduated driver licensing.”


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