SCOTLAND’S worst driver has an astounding 24 points on their licence and lives in a leafy suburb of Glasgow, officials have revealed.
The unnamed motorist from Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, is one of 98 Scottish drivers still allowed to get behind the wheel despite more than the 12 penalty points needed for a ban.
Sheriffs have the discretion not to ban drivers but are only supposed to use this power in exceptional circumstances.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which obtained the details in a freedom of information request to the DVLA, said it was time to crack down on irresponsible drivers who talk judges out of banning them.
The figures reveal that the Scottish driver occupying the number two slot currently has 20 points on their licence and lives in Leven, Fife.
Third place in the top 10 list of shame goes to a motorist from the G33 postcode in the north-east of Glasgow, who has 19 points.
Four drivers are tied in fourth place with 18 points and live in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Haddington, East Lothian, and Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.
A further three are tied on 17 points, one from the DG14 postcode in rural Dumfriesshire, one in Leith, Edinburgh and another in Motherwell.
Glasgow’s G postcodes account for 24 cases of drivers with more than 12 points while Edinburgh EH postcodes account for a further 12.
Three drivers in the Inverness area have more than 12 points while five drivers live in and around Aberdeen.
Perthshire’s PA postcode had a further 9 cases.
Impunity
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “DVLA must rapidly overhaul their systems and working relationships with the courts to ensure that the whole principle of 12 points and you are off the road is not undermined.
“Any suggestion that some drivers may be able to speed with impunity and then talk themselves out of a ban puts our whole approach to enforcement into question.
“The police and the motoring public need to have confidence that those caught speeding or breaking other motoring laws will be dealt with equally.”
Newton Mearns councillor Ian McAlpine said the affluent area sported many fast cars – a possible explanation for the 24 point driver.
He said: “There’s lots of million pound houses and lots of fast cars.
“In Newton Mearns we’ve got a number of ’20’s plenty’ zones particularly around schools.
“I suppose there’s some people that drive a bit fast hopefully we’ve slowed them down.”
Drivers facing a ban can attempt to plead that removing their licence would cause severe hardship, such as the case of a self-employed worker who must drive to do their job and is supporting a family.
A DVLA spokesman said: “DVLA’s role is to record the information provided by the courts.
“The courts are able to use their discretion to decide whether or not to disqualify a driver.”
