A new report has found that there are 77,406 learner drivers in the UK who have penalty points on their provisional licence with Southall emerging as second in a top ten of offenders.
The data comes via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the DVLA from Select Car Leasing. They say as well as being totally new drivers, some of the offenders will also be motorists who have been forced to become learner drivers again having had their licences cancelled.
Southall scored 235 per capita just below Ilford which scored 256.
Many of these learner drivers in Southall were found to have between three and six points on their licence, with two drivers found to have amassed an incredible 15 points each.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing said: “It’s shocking to see so many learner drivers with penalty points on their provisional licences – the stage before someone has even passed their full practical test. We’d urge all motorists, whether they’re carrying ‘L’ plates or not, to keep road safety at the forefront of minds.”
The analysis from Select Car Leasing also revealed when it comes to practical driving test pass rates, Southall scored 42.9% well below the the UK average of 48.7 percent and also revealing that 61% percent of non-drivers would consider driving without a full licence due to the expense of lessons increasing.
Me Conway added: “The increasing costs of driving lessons and practical tests could result in learner drivers relying on family and friends to guide them. But this could in turn lead to them picking-up poor habits from ‘instructors’ who don’t have the professional skills to be able to point out errors.”