10 ways to lose your licence

The following 10 behaviours are a ‘no no’ if you want to keep your licence and avoid causing a collision and casualties.

1. Drink driving

If you drive (or even attempt to drive) when you’re over the drink drive limit, it’s an instant 12-month ban that will stay on your record for 11 years (insurers won’t like that much either!).

2. Mobile phones

If you talk, text or play with your phone while driving, it is 6 points and £200 fine. In the first 2 years of driving that’s enough to lose your
full driving licence. CCTV and dashcam footage can now be used as evidence, so there are more ways than ever to get caught.

3. Drug driving

Think it’s less serious than drink driving? Well, you’re wrong; driving while unfit through drugs (even prescription drugs) carries an instant ban for at least 12 months.

4. No insurance

Driving without insurance will score you between six and eight points; the police may take your car too. It will cost you £150 to retrieve it, plus £20 per day storage. Alternatively they’ll crush it for you.

5. Speeding

Break the speed limit and you’ll get between three and six points. If you regularly drive too fast you could be snapped twice and not realise until it’s too late.

6. Careless driving

If you drive like an idiot, you can expect to be walking soon! Get caught and the enormous fine will be the least of your worries, as this offence carries between three and nine points.

7. Red light jumping

Going through a red light clocks up three points, and not much gets past red light cameras! Concentrate and leave yourself plenty of space to brake.

8. Driving off

If you’re in a collision (or even a bump), make sure you stop and exchange details, otherwise it’s anywhere between three and nine points.

9. Tyres

Tyres help you stay in control of your car. If they are worn below the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm, you can look forward to a penalty of three points per illegal tyre.

10. Abandoning your car

If you leave your car in a dangerous position it could be towed away – and you’ll be given three points for the inconvenience you’ve caused.