Young Inverness drivers found to be sixth worst in the UK for being hit with DVLA penalty points in study by driving insurers Marmalade
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Young drivers in Inverness rank among the UK’s worst for racking up penalty points on their driving licence.
That is the finding of new research by driving insurers Marmalade, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the DVLA.
A study of the figures showed Inverness drivers in the 17 to 25 age group rated as the sixth most likely in the country to break road rules.
Some 461 per 100,000 new drivers in the city area held penalty points on their records.
The city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire ranked as the worst in the UK, with 529 per 100,000, followed by Bradford, Halifax, Aberdeen, Northampton and Inverness.
The study confirmed young drivers across the country were most likely to be just a few points away from losing their licence.
Aberdeen, Inverness, Falkirk and Dundee combined had almost 20,000 offenders holding points for unlawful road use.
The most common driving offence for the youngest age group was breaking the speed limit on a public road, followed by using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks.
Third was driving or attempting to drive with an alcohol level above the limit.
July and August were the months when drivers were mostly likely to receive the highest number of penalty points.
Marmalade’s chief executive said: “The research highlights a real opportunity to give young motorists the tools to improve their driving.
“While young people receive a lot of support to pass their driving test, they also need support to develop their driving skills after the test too.
“Through technology like telematics (embracing technology like GPS and in-vehicle diagnostics) we can help make young drivers more aware of their speed and develop safe driving habits, while also making the roads more affordable for young people and helping to change the driving habits of the nation.”
The research also revealed drivers in parts of central London had the lowest number of points on their licence, closely followed by young drivers in Lerwick in Shetland.
The full research is available here.
