Courts to come down harder with bans for motorists with 12 or more points

Drivers who accumulate 12 or more points on their licence are at greater risk of being banned after courts agreed to come down harder on motorists who tot-up penalties. Courts to get tough on drivers with 12 or more points: The Sentencing Council has outlined new guidance to close a loophole that has allowed thousands of motorists to remain on the road by claiming disqualification will result in 'exceptional hardship' Section 35 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 states drivers who incur 12 or more penalty points on a driving licence must be disqualified for at least six months unless ‘the court is satisfied, having regard to all the circumstances, that there are grounds for mitigating the normal consequences of the conviction and thinks fit to order him to be disqualified for a shorter period or not to order him to be disqualified'. The Sentencing Council ruled that loss of employment caused by a disqualification from driving is no longer sufficient alone to demonstrate exceptional hardship. Courts can now determine that a loss of employment caused by a disqualification from driving is not sufficient to demonstrate exceptional hardship 'Almost every disqualification entails hardship for the person disqualified and their immediate family. A Daily Mail investigation earlier in the year revealed that one male had accrued 66 penalty points but will still allowed to drive on the road The tougher rules come after a freedom of information request sent by Auto Express to the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency earlier this year revealed that a staggering 9,349 people are currently legally being allowed to drive despite having accrued 12 points or more on their licence.