Pedal to the metal
Speeding remains the top motoring offence in the UK
New DVLA data has revealed Britain’s most common driving offences.
They reveal that the nation has a penchant for speeding.
Over one million (1,196,401) drivers received penalty points related to speeding in just over a year.
Southern discomfort
The statistics were gained through a Freedom of Information request made by Scrap Car Comparison.
As well as offences committed, the data also highlights which regions break the most road laws.
Drivers in the South East are the biggest culprits, above Londoners and those based in the North West of England.
Beyond speeding, which accounts for a huge 85% of the penalty points currently on driving licences in Britain, driving an uninsured vehicle is another common offence, as is driving while using a mobile phone.
The Top 5 Most Common Driving Offences of 2024
Rank | Endorsement | Offence | Number of drivers with penalty points |
1 | SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 941,495 |
2 | SP50 | Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 231,669 |
3 | IN10 | Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks | 54,798 |
4 | CU80 | Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 36,446 |
5 | MS90 | Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc | 29,831 |
Foot down
Data from the DVLA reveals that speeding offences are the most common type of law-breaking on the road.
Between January 2023 and April 2024, 941,495 drivers received points for the SP30 offence exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road.
However, the number of drivers caught speeding is even higher.
The figures exceed one million motorists, given that there are a number of different speeding offences, including exceeding the limit on a motorway (SP50) or for goods vehicles (SP10).
Of drivers with points in Great Britain (1,419,837), 84% have received them for speeding-related offences.
Undercover
Following the speeding offences of SP30 and SP50, driving uninsured vehicles was revealed to be the third most common form of driving offence.
Fifty-four thousand seven hundred ninety-eight drivers failed to have their vehicles insured against third-party risks, which is essential to driving legally.
Using mobile phones behind the wheel (CU80) ranked fourth, while failure to give information as to the driver’s identity placed fifth.
Overall, 29,831 drivers fell foul of the law for the MS90 offence.
Top 10 driving offences in Britain
Rank | Endorsement | Offence | Number of drivers with penalty points |
1 | SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 941,495 |
2 | SP50 | Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 231,669 |
3 | IN10 | Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks | 54,798 |
4 | CU80 | Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 36,446 |
5 | MS90 | Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc | 29,831 |
6 | TS10 | Failing to comply with traffic light signals | 27,813 |
7 | SP10 | Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits | 23,237 |
8 | CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 11,754 |
9 | LC20 | Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence | 9,217 |
10 | CU30 | Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s) | 6,338 |
Driving South
Looking at regional data, drivers in the South East are breaking the rules of the road the most, with 205,678 drivers from the area currently having endorsements on their licences.
Drivers in London follow as the second most rule-breaking, with those in the North West in third.
The West and East Midlands are in seventh and eighth positions, respectively, with each receiving over 120,000 penalty points.
Meanwhile, Scotland also features in the top ten, with drivers in the West of the country found to be most unlawful on the roads, with 36,585 being caught for one or more offences.
Overall, during the period analysed (January 2023 to April 2024), 67,818 Welsh drivers were issued penalty points, 93,536 drivers in Scotland received points on their licence, and over 1.2 million (1,257,004) drivers in England received penalty points.
Top 10 regions where the most drivers have picked up points
Rank | UK region | Drivers with penalty points |
1 | South East England | 205,678 |
2 | Greater London | 180,205 |
3 | North West England | 155,236 |
4 | South West England | 149,568 |
5 | Yorkshire and the Humber | 143,888 |
6 | East England | 134,311 |
7 | West Midlands | 126,264 |
8 | East Midlands | 122,338 |
9 | North East England | 39,392 |
10 | West Scotland | 36,585 |
On trend
David Kottaun, Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison, says the data reveals “some very interesting trends”.
Speeding remains the overwhelming issue that needs to be dealt with.
“Though it may not seem like it at the time, even just a few miles per hour above the speed limit can have devastating consequences,” says Kottaun.
In the event of a collision, those few miles an hour can make all the difference to stopping distances in inclement weather, “significantly increasing the risk of having an accident”.
“It’s surprising to see driving with a defective tyre also in the top ten offences,” adds Kottaun.
“It’s so easy to prevent – we can all spare a few seconds before getting into our cars to check that our tyre walls are in good order, and that we have sufficient tread depth. There really aren’t any excuses for this one and the result could be much worse than the cost of a replacement tyre.
“Laws are there for a reason, and in the case of driving, they will most definitely make your experience on the roads a safer one when followed and rescue the chance of your car ending up in a crash and on the scrap heap.”