Following on from the alarming results of the Slow Down Day in Ireland, some worrying data about driving licences being revoked has been released by the DVLA.
According to the figures recently released, there has been a 33.5% increase in the number of licences revoked over the last four years under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 and also in the number of drivers who have exceeded the 12 penalty points disqualification limit.
It is imperative for businesses that depend on driving to continually ensure their drivers are legally compliant and have not exceeded the 12 penalty points limit or have already had their licence revoked in the previous year. Companies have to stay vigilant at all times as there are a substantial amount of drivers who work and drive in the UK on foreign licences that have agreements with the UK whose penalty points or qualifications may not be immediately identified.
Other than that, it is essential that companies properly manage risks related to work and to driving as a working activity.
The data, shared under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, revealed that the number of car and motorcycle drivers who have had their driving entitlement revoked or refused for medical reasons was 61,482, an increase of 4% over 2017, and up 29% when compared with 2015.
The number of lorry or bus drivers who have also had their driving entitlement refused for medical reasons also increased from 11,213 in 2017 to 12,242 in 2018, a rise of 9.2%.
As previously quoted, the number of drivers with 12 or more penalty points on their licences has risen as well. In July last year, there were 10,978 drivers with 12 or more penalty points recorded on their current driver record. By the end of March this year, that figure had grown to 11,150, a 1.6% rise in less than six months.
The alarming statistics shared by the DVLA prove once again that companies need to continue focusing on essential operations like driving licence checking and the assessment of drivers’ compliance and the various risks associated with the driving profession. Verifications such as these are of paramount importance for the safety and security of a company which has to operate according to its duty of care to their whole team, to drivers and all road users.
