Latest government data shows a worrying 97,187 drivers have a current total of 9, 10 or 11 points on their licence, risking a ban if further points are received before the existing penalties expire.
And Licence Bureau warns this is bad news for employers who may not be aware of the at-risk or banned drivers within their workforce, and who are under threat of both driver shortages and compliance issues if these risks are not addressed.
Licence Bureau has carried out more than 830,000 licence checks on behalf of clients over the last 12 months, of which a staggering 5,000 checks picked up active drivers within the workforce who should not have been on the road. Issues ranged from driving while disqualified, to provisional licence holders, drivers with revoked licences, non-GB licence holders with endorsements, and expired or voluntarily surrendered licences.
Licence Bureau road safety expert Andy Wheeler commented: “These latest figures make for sobering reading for fleet managers, as even for companies that are actively engaged in trying to manage their driver risk compliance, they show there is a one in 166 chance that an employed driver on the road today should not be driving.
“For companies who are not actively managing their risk, these figures could be significantly higher, with potential consequences not just for compliance but also for a diminished workforce should these drivers be removed from the roads in any large numbers.”
Above all, the findings show that companies shouldn’t be complacent around the management of driver risk, according to Wheeler.
“Whether you have two drivers on your fleet or 2,000, the need for ongoing and thorough checks is clear. By regularly checking licences of company drivers, not only can illegal drivers be removed from the roads, but also those who are ‘at risk’ of a ban can be managed appropriately, with either additional monitoring or training as necessary.”
