A motorist was caught driving while distracted nine times in the past four years, new figures reveal, with road safety campaigners calling for repeat offenders to have their licences revoked.
The person, who has not been identified, was among 932 British drivers convicted for the offence more than once over that period. Twenty-seven drivers were caught between three and five times, 904 were caught twice and 90,057 were caught once, according to the figures obtained by the PA Media news agency.
The statistics, released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in response to a freedom of information request, are a snapshot of the number of CU80 offences on driving records on 13 November.
A CU80 offence is defined as a “breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone”, comes with three to six penalty points and must stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence.
Jason Wakeford, the head of campaigns at road safety charity Brake, said: “It’s alarming to see repeat offenders, who have had ample opportunity to change their behaviour, still on the roads and putting other people at risk. “We believe that drivers who regularly disregard the law should have their licences revoked. This would help save lives, prevent needless injuries, and send a clear signal that driving is a privilege and not a right.”
The RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Sadly, these figures demonstrate that far too many drivers are still breaking the law and putting others on the road needlessly at risk. Worryingly, the RAC’s research shows that a quarter of drivers are still making or receiving calls with a handheld phone while driving, and incredibly a small but sizeable proportion even admit to filming videos or playing games at the wheel.”
If a driver accrues 12 or more points within three years, they can be disqualified. But courts have discretion to allow offenders to keep driving if they are able to prove extenuating circumstances, including when a ban would cause extreme financial hardship.
The DVLA said just 506 of the 90,989 motorists with the CU80 endorsements on their record were disqualified as a result. It has not been revealed whether the person with nine CU80s was among those banned.
Under current UK laws, drivers are banned from texting or making a phone call with a handheld device, other than in an emergency. Tougher rules prohibiting people from taking photos or videos, scrolling through playlists or playing games on their phones when driving will be introduced this year.
