Almost half (46%) of motorists don’t know how many penalty points can result in a ban.

However, over two-thirds (67%) would support mandatory retesting for all disqualified drivers before they can return to the road.  

For serious offences that result in immediate driving bans, 81% believe the disqualification period should be extended. 

You’re out

The number of British motorists being disqualified after accumulating penalty points is putting renewed focus on the length of penalties and returning to driving.

 According to new research, the majority support retesting for drivers who have lost their licences to prove their competence before returning to the road.

New analysis from Confused.com found that 47,598 GB licence holders were disqualified after reaching 12 or more penalty points between May 2025 and May 2026.

The research also found strong public support for mandatory retesting, with 67% of 2,000 motorists surveyed saying that every disqualified driver should retake their test before being allowed back behind the wheel.

Quotas

The figures cover so-called “totting up” disqualifications.

Under current rules, drivers who accumulate 12 or more points within three years are normally banned for at least six months.

A second disqualification within three years can result in a 12-month ban, while a third can lead to a two-year ban.

Drivers aged 25–34 accounted for 12,537 disqualifications, while those aged 35–44 accounted for another 12,415.

Together, the two age groups represented 52% of the total.

There were 5,745 disqualifications among 17–24-year-olds, 8,144 among 45–54s and 5,766 among 55–64s.

The figures fell to 1,474 for 65–69-year-olds and 1,510 among drivers aged 70 and over.

Unaware of the consequences

Confused.com says its research also exposes a significant knowledge gap.

Almost half of motorists (46%) did not know that 12 points within three years can result in a ban, while 26% thought the threshold was lower.

The rules for newly qualified drivers are even stricter: six or more points within their first two years can result in licence revocation, yet 63% of motorists were unaware of this threshold.

Speeding can result in three to six points for an offence, while driving without insurance can attract six to eight points, meaning that relatively few convictions can take a driver towards disqualification.

To test or not to retest

The 67% support for compulsory retesting raises an important question about what a driving ban is intended to achieve.

Currently, drivers disqualified for 56 days or more must apply for a new licence and may be ordered by a court to take another driving test or an extended test.

Retesting is therefore not automatically required after a totting-up ban.

Confused.com motoring expert Matt Crole-Rees believes drivers should regularly refresh their knowledge of road rules and understand the consequences of endorsements.

He also highlighted an additional penalty that can continue long after a ban has ended: insurance.

Confused.com found that between January and June 2026, quoted car insurance premiums for drivers with six penalty points were 58% higher than for motorists with clean licences.

“Totting up penalty points doesn’t only put your freedom to drive at risk, it can also impact the cost of car insurance,” Crole-Rees said, adding that drivers must tell insurers about penalty points in accordance with their policy requirements.

A tougher approach

The public appetite for stronger sanctions extends beyond repeat offenders.

Confused.com found 81% supported extending at least one disqualification period for serious driving offences.

Among those surveyed, 73% believed the minimum five-year ban for causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs should be longer.

In comparison, 63% thought the minimum one-year ban for drink- or drug-driving was insufficient.

Re-educate

Government statistics for England and Wales show that 23,800 offenders were disqualified through the penalty-points system in 2025, down 33% from 2024, while 104,000 were directly disqualified for motoring offences, up 29%.

Road-safety organisations have generally stressed that punishment needs to be accompanied by education and behaviour change.

IAM RoadSmart, for example, campaigns for stronger enforcement while also promoting driver education and skills development.

Its 2025 road-safety research found 81% support for offering dangerous older drivers a mature-driving course instead of prosecution in appropriate circumstances.

A disqualification can remove someone’s legal entitlement to drive, but refresher training, theory revision and practical assessment could also address the behaviours that led to repeated offences.

The central issue is therefore not simply how long someone should be kept off the road, but whether, when they return, they have demonstrated that they understand the rules and can drive safely.