Data from the DVLA has revealed the most common driving offences in Britain.

It shows that the nation has problems with speeding and being uninsured, a very worrying combination.

More than 3 million people currently driving with points on their licence due to breaking the speed limit. In fact, speeding accounts for 67% of the points currently on driving licences within Britain,

The information was gained through a Freedom of Information request made by Scrap Car Comparison. Compiling the data also highlights which regions break the most road laws, with the South East leading the way, above London and the North West.

 The Most Common Driving Offences

Rank Endorsement Offence Number of drivers
1 SP30 Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road 3,028,699
2 SP50 Exceeding speed limit on a motorway 627,796
3 IN10 Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks 288,424
4 MS90 Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc 155,869
5 SP10 Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits 86,385
6 CU80 Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone 80,053
7 TS10 Failing to comply with traffic light signals 78,769
8 CD10 Driving without due care and attention 41,168
9 LC20 Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence 38,027
10 CU30 Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s) 30,245

A credit in any write up to the source of the research would be much appreciated too!

Putting the foot down

Speeding offences are the most common type of law breaking on the road, with 3,028,699 drivers receiving points for the SP30 offence of exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road. However, the true number of drivers caught speeding is even higher than this, 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, more than two thirds (67%) have received them for speeding. 

Who cares?

Driving uninsured vehicles was revealed to be the third most common form of driving offence, with 288,424 drivers failing to have their vehicle insured against third party risks – which is essential to drive legally. Failure to give information as to the identity of the driver also featured in fourth place, with 155,869 drivers falling foul of the law for the MS90 offence. 

Going South

Looking at regional data, it’s drivers in the South East who are breaking the rules of the road the most, with 392,673 drivers from the area currently with endorsements on their licence. Drivers in London follow as the second most rule-breaking, with those in the North West in third.

Scotland sneaks into the top ten, with drivers in the West of the country found to be most unlawful on the roads, with 78,310 being caught for one or more offences. In Wales, those living in the South East are picking up the most points, with 77,361 drivers receiving a penalty, though the South West of the country is close behind. 

Points by region

  1. South East England – 392,673 drivers 
  2. London – 340,011 drivers 
  3. North West England – 320,292 drivers 
  4. Yorkshire and the Humber – 284,793 drivers 
  5. East England – 280,749 drivers 
  6. South West England – 275,474 drivers 
  7. West Midlands – 271,705 drivers 
  8. East Midlands – 270,978 drivers 
  9. North East England – 109,469 drivers 
  10. West Scotland – 78,310 drivers 

Time to take stock

Dan Gick, Managing Director of Scrap Car Comparison believes this crunching information shines a light on where work on education, training and research should be aimed.

“Taking a look at this unique data to understand how we’re breaking the law on the roads has uncovered some very interesting trends. As we all know thanks to the number of speed cameras and speed camera vans spotted on the road, drivers breaking the speed limit is a continual problem that we’re facing on the roads. 

“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 in the event of a collision and 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, as 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! 

“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.” 

You can view the full findings of the Scrap Car Comparison study here.