DVLA sees sharp increase in number of drivers having licences ‘immediately’ taken for breaking driving law
The number of new drivers who have had their licences revoked for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel has doubled in just two years, according to new reports.
Data from the DVLA revealed that licence revocations jumped from 591 in 2022 to 1,046 in 2023, with already 918 drivers losing their licences in 2024 so far.
The revoked licences were for motorists who have more than six penalty points within two years of passing their test. Under DVLA rules they can automatically have their licences taken away.
The DVLA dictates that drivers who have their licence revoked will need to apply for a new provisional licence at the end of their disqualification period before having to pass theory and practical driving tests all over again.
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The surge follows stricter enforcement of mobile phone laws, with overall endorsements for phone-related offences rising from 34,062 in 2022 to 39,515 in 2023.
The figures were revealed through a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by Select Car Leasing, specifically looking at CU80 offences. These offences relate to holding a phone, sat nav, tablet or other connected device while driving.
The data shows the enforcement system is actively removing dangerous new drivers who fail to heed mobile phone warnings during their probationary period.
Mark Tongue, Joint CEO and Co-Founder of Select Car Leasing said: “Mobile phones are a ubiquitous part of modern life but all drivers, whether new or experienced, need to understand the dangers of becoming distracted while staring at a screen and not the road ahead.”
He added: “The stats we’ve uncovered via a FOI show that the system is working to remove new drivers from the road who clearly haven’t learned about the risks associated with mobile phone use behind the wheel.
“But the huge increase in mobile phone use prosecutions we’ve seen amongst new drivers is hugely concerning and, quite frankly, frightening.”
The higher number also reflects changes made in March 2022 by the Department for Transport which introduced much stricter laws around mobile phone use while driving, adopting a zero tolerance approach.
The new rules by the Conservative Government made it illegal to use a handheld mobile phone under virtually any circumstance while driving.
This includes even basic actions like illuminating the screen, checking notifications, or unlocking the device, all of which could see drivers issued a penalty.
The minimum penalty was set at £200 and six penalty points, meaning new drivers face immediate licence revocation for a single offence.
London tops the list of locations for mobile phone use prosecutions between 2022 and 2024, with 10,125 endorsements. West Yorkshire emerges as a particular problem area, with Bradford recording 1,546 endorsements and Leeds following with 1,320 prosecutions.
Birmingham and Glasgow round out the top five hotspots, with 1,257 and 1,217 endorsements respectively.
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Tongue noted: “There were also 36 licence endorsements for drivers aged 14, 15 and 16 years old – before they’re even old enough to attempt to pass their test!”
The age breakdown also revealed the majority of offences occurred among drivers aged 21-40, with 55,428 endorsements in this group. The number of elderly offenders drops significantly, with just 84 endorsements for drivers aged 81-90.