Halifax, Huddersfield and Plymouth have the highest concentration of motorists with points on their driving licences, according to new analysis.
Around one in ten motorists in these major towns and city have at least one penalty point on their record – and the average is four points per licence holder.
This is based on the latest driver records held by the DLVA’s database, which was last published in May.
Want to know how many of your neighbours and drivers living in the same postcode area as you have points? And, just as importantly, if you have more or less than them?
The Daily Mail has built a new search tool that will give you all the answers.
To use our interactive feature below, simply enter your postcode and the number of points you have on your driving licence currently.
It will then tell you if you have more or less than the average motorist in the town or city where you live.
It also provides information about the number of licence holders, how many endorsements, and the total points accrued by all motorists in the region.
Halifax, Huddersfield, and Plymouth have the highest concentration of motorists with points on their driving licence. Now use our tool above to find out if you have more points than neighbours in your postcode area
The new analysis of DVLA data has been conducted by number plate dealer, Regtransfers.
It found that some regions across Britain are home to motorists with a proportionally higher count of driving offences.
In total, Britons currently have 12 million active penalty points, as of May 2025.
The national average number of points per driver with endorsements is four.
According to the figures, Halifax tops the table with more than one in 10 licences registered in the area (10.1 per cent) having one or more penalty points.
This means that every tenth driver on Halifax’s roads likely has a recent history of offences.
Endorsements stay on your driving record for four or 11 years depending on the offence. This can start from either the date you’re convicted or the date of your offence.
Huddersfield, Plymouth and Truro are the locations next on the list with the highest share of drivers with points on their licence.
Around nine in 10 registered licence holders have one. Again, the average number of points held per driver is four.
In terms of regions where drivers have the most points, drivers in Oxford have an average of five per motorist.
This is the highest in the UK and closest to the six-point disqualification threshold for new drivers (those who have only held licences for two years).
For drivers who have had their licence for more than 24 months, an automatic ban only occurs when they’ve accrued 12 or more points at one time.
Oxford does not feature in the top 10 list of areas with the highest proportion of drivers carrying existing offences.
| Town/City | Licence holders (full & provisional) | Licences with points | Total points | % of licences with points | Avg points per licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | 128,642 | 13,032 | 53,045 | 10.1 | 4 |
| Huddersfield | 212,189 | 19,479 | 79,148 | 9.2 | 4 |
| Plymouth | 457,398 | 41,239 | 165,915 | 9 | 4 |
| Truro | 263,286 | 23,661 | 93,845 | 9 | 4 |
| Leeds | 625,967 | 53,016 | 216,524 | 8.5 | 4 |
| Telford | 192,025 | 15,383 | 59,719 | 8 | 4 |
| Bradford | 456,659 | 36,192 | 152,612 | 7.9 | 4 |
| Exeter | 489,330 | 38,700 | 150,497 | 7.9 | 4 |
| Wakefield | 422,266 | 32,983 | 135,104 | 7.8 | 4 |
| Torquay | 246,618 | 19,178 | 74,806 | 7.8 | 4 |
| Source: DVLA data accurate to May 2025 analysed by Regtransfers | |||||
In raw numbers alone, driving licences registered in London account for 1.76 million of the UK’s penalty points.
The capital has highest number of licences with endorsements for one area in the UK – more than triple the next highest city (Birmingham with 356,974 points) and over 14 per cent of the country’s total number of penalty points.
On a per capita basis, London also tops the table with 212 penalty points per 1,000 licences – double the national town average.
Mark Trimbee, chief executive of Regtransfers, said: ‘When you look at the numbers, you realise just how many people are carrying penalty points on their licence.
‘It’s easy to assume poor driving habits are confined to big cities or motorways, but the data tells a different story, and it’s interesting to see Halifax, Huddersfield and Plymouth at the top of our data.’
He does, however, acknowledge something important about the statistics being shown.
‘You might look at the data and believe that higher points in particular regions means it’s a ‘hotspot’ of bad activity – but that’s not necessarily the case,’ Mark explains.
‘Points can also be issued anywhere in the UK – somewhere other than a person’s registered address, for instance.
‘What this kind of data does help shine a light on, perhaps, are the areas where driving education – and good driving habits – might be falling short.’
