DVLA warns thousands of drivers are now at risk of 'losing licence'

A Freedom of Information request by leading temporary car insurance provider Cuvva to the DVLA highlighted the top five mistakes drivers made in the first quarter of 2023 that resulted in penalty points being added to their licence.

Drivers have been slapped with an urgent warning as DVLA data shows thousands of UK drivers are at risk of "losing their licence". A Freedom of Information request by leading temporary car insurance provider Cuvva to the DVLA highlighted the top five mistakes drivers made in the first quarter of 2023 that resulted in penalty points being added to their licence.

Most drivers issued with penalty points for exceeding the limit on public roads (156,457) were hit with an SP30 offence code. After speeding, the next most common offence was driving uninsured.

Using a mobile phone at the wheel (CU80) is one of the fastest rising driving offences (35% up on the same period last year). This reflects a crackdown after changes to the Highway Code last year made it illegal to even touch your phone while driving. That includes browsing playlists when queueing in traffic.

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The fifth most-common driving offence that led to penalty points was for car owners failing to give information regarding who was driving their car when an offence was committed (MS90), the DVLA data - released in September - goes on to show.

If you are caught driving a car uninsured in the UK, you could be faced with a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points. If the case goes to court, you could get an unlimited fine or even lose your driving licence, under DVLA guidelines and strict rules.

Darryl Bowman from Cuvva said in a question to road users, motorists and drivers up and down the country this week: "Why take the risk and drive uninsured, when you can get a temporary car insurance policy for as little as an hour for a couple of quid?"

He added: "It beats landing up with a £5,000 fine or losing your licence altogether."