A Fife motorist who racked up 20 penalty points on his driving licence is still allowed on the road, it has been revealed.
Figures released by the DVLA to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) show thousands of British drivers are still entitled to drive, despite having more than 12 penalty points on their licence the threshold for an automatic ban.
However, the Fife driver still has some way to go to equal Britain’s worst driver still entitled to get behind the wheel.
He is a Liverpool man who received a record 45 penalty points between October 2012 and June last year. He got the points for eight offences of failing to disclose the identity of the driver or for speeding.
Courts can opt not to strip a driver of their licence despite having more than 12 points if it will cause exceptional hardship, such as losing a job or affecting the care of a child.
And if a driver is given a ban by the courts, he or she can reapply for their licence, even if the points are still on it.
In the KY postcode area there were 22 people still driving, despite having 12 or more points on their licence. There are 14 drivers still on the road with 12 or more points in the DD postcode area, which covers Dundee and Angus.
Just seven people have more than 12 points and are still driving in the PH postcode area, covering Perth and Kinross, and 24 in the FK postcode area, which includes Falkirk and Stirling.
Failing to give the identity of the owner, speeding and driving uninsured were the most common reasons for points, the IAM said.