New figures show more than 50 people in Britain hold valid driving licences despite racking up at least 30 penalty points.

The Guardian reports three male licence holders have more than 100 points, including a 26-year-old with 176, while the woman with the most points is a 50-year-old with 96.

The figures, collated by the PA News Agency show there are 53 people who have at least 30 points.

Points are issued after convictions for road offences, such as driving without due care and attention (three to nine points), drink-driving (three to 11 points), and speeding (three to six points).

Under the totting-up process, drivers are usually banned for six months if they receive 12 or more points within a three-year period, unless they convince a court this would result in exceptional hardship, which could relate to their ability to work or care for their family.

A total of 10,056 drivers hold a valid licence despite having at least 12 points.

Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, told The Guardian: “These shocking statistics call into question whether the definition of exceptional hardship needs reviewing.

“Any driver that is on the cusp of a ban would normally take heed of the risk of losing their licence, but it seems that a minority continue to break the law without any consideration.

“At the very least, those that accrue 12 or more points on their licence should be required to take an additional training course, even if they are allowed to keep their licence because a court has deemed that losing it would cause exceptional hardship.”

(Picture – Yay Images)