Driving penalty points explained
No one likes to receive penalty points on their licence, whether it’s for breaking the speed limit, driving with defective tyres or drunk driving. In this guide, we’ll look at the different offences that can cause you to get driving penalty points and their consequences.
Will having penalty points affect my car insurance?
You should expect to pay more for your car insurance if you have penalty points on your licence. Car insurers look at a number of factors when deciding how much to charge you for your policy and, if you have points on your licence, you’ll be considered to be at a higher risk of having an accident. If you have 3 points on your licence, for instance, you may see your premium increase by about 10%[1]. Some insurers will not accept customers with more than one or two minor convictions, so the possible consequences could also include being declined cover.
When you are convicted of any driving offence, it’s important to let your insurer know. If you don’t and you later need to make a claim, you’ll find that your policy is invalid.
If your policy is due to expire soon, why not get a quote from Rias? Shopping around and comparing quotes could work out cheaper.
How many penalty points will I get?
Take a look at this table to see some the most common and most severe driving offences and their penalties.
|
Driving offence |
Penalty Points |
Driving Ban |
Prison Term |
Fine |
|
Causing death by dangerous driving |
3 – 11
(unless there are exceptional circumstances) |
Obligatory – for a minimum of 2 years and you’ll have to retake your driving test.
|
10 years |
Unlimited |
|
Dangerous driving |
3 – 11
(unless there are exceptional circumstances) |
Obligatory. You’ll have to retake your driving test.
|
6 months |
Unlimited |
|
Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drink or drugs
|
3 – 11
(unless there are exceptional circumstances) |
Obligatory – for a minimum of 2 and you’ll have to retake your driving test.
|
10 years |
Unlimited |
|
Driving without due care and attention
|
3 - 9 |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£2,500 |
|
Driving when above the alcohol limit or unfit through drink or drugs
|
3 – 11
(unless there are exceptional circumstances) |
Obligatory
(You may have to retake your driving test) |
6 months |
£5,000
|
|
Failing to stop after an accident or failing to report an accident
|
5 - 10 |
Discretionary |
6 months |
£5,000
|
|
Driving while disqualified
|
6 |
Discretionary |
6 months |
£5,000
|
|
Driving after revocation of license on medical grounds
|
3 - 6 |
Discretionary |
6 months |
£5,000
|
|
Driving without insurance |
6 - 8 |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£5,000 |
|
Using a vehicle with defective breaks/tyres/steering
|
3 |
Discretionary (e) |
N/A |
£2,500 (if driving a car) |
|
Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving
|
6 |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£1,000 (if driving a car) |
|
Failure to have proper control of the vehicle or full view of the road ahead
|
3 |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£1,000 |
|
Driving otherwise than in accordance with a license
|
3 – 6 |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£1,000 |
|
Speeding
|
3 – 6
(3 points if a fixed penalty notice is given and accepted) |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£1,000 (£2,500 if caught speeding on a motorway) |
|
Traffic signal offences |
3 |
Discretionary |
N/A |
£1,000 |
Driving offences that don’t result in penalty points:
|
Failing to identify the driver of your vehicle
|
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
£1,000 |
|
No MOT certificate |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
£1,000 |
|
Seat belt offences |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
£500 (£250 if a child isn’t wearing a seatbelt on the back seat.) |
Table information sourced from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/annex-5-penalties
How long will penalty points stay on my driving licence?
Your penalty points will remain on your licence for three years after the date of your conviction, but you won’t be able to have them removed until their fourth anniversary.
If you’ve been caught speeding, you may be given the option of paying a fine and attending a speed awareness course instead of having points added to your licence. You usually will only be offered the speed awareness course option if you’ve not had another speeding offence (within the last three years) and you were only just over the speed limit.
If you receive twelve penalty points within three years you will be disqualified from driving. If you receive six penalty points within the first two years of passing your driving test, your licence will be cancelled. If you drive safely, make sure your car is insured and in good repair, you shouldn’t fall foul of any the driving offences above. They are in place to help you and other drivers stay safe on the road.