1 per cent of drivers 'swap penalty points'

13/10/11
By Richard Cranidge

An estimated 300,000 motorists have exchanged penalty points with another driver so they do not lose their licence, according to new research.

A poll by motoring group AA in conjunction with Populus found that 1 per cent of drivers have swapped points while 13 per cent know of someone who has undertaken the illegal practice. Of the 16,961 AA members polled, some 12 per cent said they would contact the police if another motorist attempted to swap points.

More skilled manual and service workers would go to the police than those who said they were professional or senior managers - 16 per cent compared to 11 per cent. The number was even higher among pensioners, the unskilled and jobless, with 20 per cent saying they would get in touch with the authorities.
There were also regional variations revealed in the poll. In Northern Ireland, a request to exchange points would be reported by almost one in six motorists whereas in north-east England, London and Wales the figure was only one in 10.

AA president Edmund King said the survey shows that "the equivalent of 300,000 drivers have admitted that they have persuaded other drivers to take their penalty points" while "one in eight drivers might report someone to the police if they were asked to take their points".