What's the limit...
Discussion
...for the number of points you can get *BEFORE* losing your licence?
I always thought it to be twelve but some time ago I *HAD* twelve points and still kept my licence.
Basically I had three points (an SP30) logged on one copy of my licence which I "lost" and when the replacement came through it had no points listed on it (even though the offence was only a couple of months earlier).
I then got 6 points and £575 fine for another SP30 (taking me up to 9 but only 6 listed on the licence), these were added to my licence.
About 2 years later I got pulled for 92 on the M3 between the A303 and Winchester ... the copper that pulled me was fine and I agreed I'd been speeding so it was a simple fixed penalty since I had my documents on me.
As I went to hand him my licence he actually said to me "Before you give me that and I give you 3 points is there anything on there that would mean I don't hand you it back?"
Now, at the time I took from it "If you have enough points that you're going to be banned then I'm giving you the option of being able to drive home and then do all this by post" but since then I've wondered...
1) Whether he could have simply banned me there and then.
2) Whether my first batch of three points were somehow lost in the ether.
or
3) Whether they weren't lost and you can still drive with 12 points.
Phil
I always thought it to be twelve but some time ago I *HAD* twelve points and still kept my licence.
Basically I had three points (an SP30) logged on one copy of my licence which I "lost" and when the replacement came through it had no points listed on it (even though the offence was only a couple of months earlier).
I then got 6 points and £575 fine for another SP30 (taking me up to 9 but only 6 listed on the licence), these were added to my licence.
About 2 years later I got pulled for 92 on the M3 between the A303 and Winchester ... the copper that pulled me was fine and I agreed I'd been speeding so it was a simple fixed penalty since I had my documents on me.
As I went to hand him my licence he actually said to me "Before you give me that and I give you 3 points is there anything on there that would mean I don't hand you it back?"
Now, at the time I took from it "If you have enough points that you're going to be banned then I'm giving you the option of being able to drive home and then do all this by post" but since then I've wondered...
1) Whether he could have simply banned me there and then.
2) Whether my first batch of three points were somehow lost in the ether.
or
3) Whether they weren't lost and you can still drive with 12 points.
Phil
I would suggest that you were b
y lucky and that somehow your original 3 points got lost in the system. 12 points is still a ban.
The reason he would have asked is that he can't give you a FPN and 3 points if it would tot you up to 12 points or over. That has to be dealt with by a court as it requires them to set the length of the ban etc (it's not fixed at 12 months and can be alot less on a totting up offence I believe).
y lucky and that somehow your original 3 points got lost in the system. 12 points is still a ban. The reason he would have asked is that he can't give you a FPN and 3 points if it would tot you up to 12 points or over. That has to be dealt with by a court as it requires them to set the length of the ban etc (it's not fixed at 12 months and can be alot less on a totting up offence I believe).
About 3 years ago my dad got 3 points for rolling through a red in the early hours (clearly asleep as he had no recollection nutter)!
Anyway he already had nine on the licence, it went to court obviously and the judge gave him three points (total now 12) and let him keep his license as he generates his income at the wheel. He was told, anymore and we have to take it away - no more get out of jail free cards Mr Abrahams I think was the quote!
I thought the law was more than 12 not twelve or more?
Anyway he already had nine on the licence, it went to court obviously and the judge gave him three points (total now 12) and let him keep his license as he generates his income at the wheel. He was told, anymore and we have to take it away - no more get out of jail free cards Mr Abrahams I think was the quote!
I thought the law was more than 12 not twelve or more?
At 9 points, Police should not offer fixed penalty and Courts won't let you accept it. When you get to 12, you should be disqualified unless you can convince a court that DQ would cause exceptional hardship. If successful you still get the points but not the ban. Exceptional Hardship will be endorsed on the licence normally so you don't use it again. Not uncommon to reach 15 this way, quite rare beyond that.
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