New data analysis by Hippo Leasing reveals which County and City Council areas in Wales are home to drivers with the most penalty points, according to exclusive figures obtained under Freedom of Information from the DVLA.
At the end of January, over 35,000 drivers in Wales had 6 or more points on their driving licence as a result of offences such as speeding, being uninsured, driving under the influence, running a red light, using a mobile and dangerous driving.
Relative to the total number of drivers in their area, Denbighshire has the highest percentage of motorists with 6 or more points on their driving licences, crowning it the county in Wales with the least law-abiding drivers.
Caerphilly comes in second place, with over 1,800 motorists holding 6 or more points on their licence, followed by Bridgend, Flintshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf in third, fourth and fifth place respectively.
# | City/County Council | # of drivers with 6+ points on their licence | % of driver population in City/County Council area |
1 | Denbighshire | 1,223 | 2.69% |
2 | Caerphilly | 1,854 | 1.97% |
3 | Bridgend | 2,057 | 1.86% |
4 | Flintshire | 1,898 | 1.85% |
5 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | 2,894 | 1.71% |
6 | Wrexham | 1,654 | 1.65% |
7 | Carmarthenshire | 2,317 | 1.61% |
8 | Newport | 1,764 | 1.58% |
9 | Isle of Anglesey | 864 | 1.57% |
10 | Merthyr Tydfil | 701 | 1.53% |
11 | Cardiff | 3,875 | 1.52% |
12 | Swansea | 2,644 | 1.48% |
13 | Gwynedd | 1,270 | 1.48% |
14 | Neath Port Talbot | 1,580 | 1.45% |
15 | The Vale of Glamorgan | 1,343 | 1.42% |
16 | Blaenau Gwent | 745 | 1.41% |
17 | Monmouthshire | 1,108 | 1.40% |
18 | Torfaen | 883 | 1.25% |
19 | Conwy | 1,522 | 1.25% |
20 | Pembrokeshire | 1,151 | 1.22% |
21 | Powys | 1,172 | 1.21% |
22 | Ceredigion | 601 | 1.04% |
If a motorist obtains more than 12 points on their driving licence within a 3-year period they will receive a driving ban. The number is even less for new drivers, who are automatically disqualified if they receive 6 or more points in the first 2 years.
In Wales, 1,178 drivers were disqualified from driving at the end of January, according to the DVLA.
Taking into account population size, Denbighshire also has the highest number of disqualified drivers per capita, 40, followed by Cardiff in second place with 201, Wrexham in third with 67, Merthyr Tydfil in fourth with 29 and 63 in Flintshire in fifth, while Rhondda Cynon Taf has 102 and takes sixth spot.