A MOTORIST clocked up 30 driving licence points but still avoided a ban.

The driver is one of 165 from East Lancashire who have collected 12 or more points on their licence, but escaped being disqualified.

Twelve points usually means an automatic ban unless it can be proved it would cause exceptional hardship.

According to the DVLA, the motorist with 30 points is from the Blackburn area, where 61 people have ‘totted’ up more than 12 points and are still on the road.

Its figures also show the number of drivers who have escaped a ban in Burnley stands at 27, Nelson 22, Accrington 16, Darwen 13, Clitheroe 11, Rossendale 8, Colne 4 and Barnoldswick 3.

One Nelson driver has racked up 22 points while two motorists, from Clitheroe and Rossendale, each have 21 points. All remain on the road.

A road safety charity slammed the figures as “appalling” and called for more bans to be put in place.

Meanwhile Blackburn MP Jack Straw said it was hard to see how a driver could accrue 30 points without losing their licence.

There are more than 60 different offences that can result in penalty points being put on somebody’s driving licence.

They range from speeding offences, failing to comply with traffic lights or signs, driving with defective eyesight, racing, driving with drink or drugs in the system and being involved in accidents.

Caroline Perry, from road safety charity Brake, said: “It’s appalling that so many people are being allowed to drive with more than 12 points on their licence.

“By breaking the law these drivers have shown a wilful disregard for the safety of other road users.

“All drivers have a responsibility to keep others on the roads safe and these people have shown that on numerous occasions they refuse to take this responsibility seriously.

“Allowing them to continue driving is sending out a message to other drivers that it is acceptable to continually break the law.

"We would urge the Government to help stamp this out and provide justice for those families whose lives have been devastated by dangerous drivers.”

The DVLA did not reveal any further details of the 165 drivers with 12 points or more and would not say what offences were involved.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw said the system that allowed magistrates the final decision was right, but questioned how somebody could avoid a ban with as many as 30 points.

He said: “It is quite right that the law does give magistrates the discretion to deal with cases of exceptional hardship, but I am very surprised that someone has got 30 points.

“I would be keen to know how anybody can have 30 points and still be driving.

“But there shouldn’t be a rigid cut-off point for an automatic ban.

"It is up to the magistrates to deal with each case.”

It is the role of the magistrates courts to make a decision on whether to ban a driver once he or she reaches 12 points, and they can use their discretion to not hand out a ban if it would cause “exceptional hardship”.

Chris Hunt-Cooke, road traffic committee chairman for The Magistrates’ Association, said: “Drivers who collect 12 or more points on their licence within three years will be told to attend court because they are liable to be disqualified for a minimum period of six months.

“They may possibly escape this if they can convince the court that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship, either to themselves or other people.

“All disqualification is liable to cause some inconvenience, so the hardship has to be exceptional if it is to influence the court.

“Courts are liable to take more account of hardship to other people, because they are suffering through the fault of someone else.

“For example if someone has a very small business, employing just a few people, and is the only person who can go out and get sales, his employees may lose their jobs if he cannot drive.

“The court might consider that to be exceptional hardship, but would look at what other alternatives might be available before deciding. Can he take taxis or can someone else drive him around for example.”

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “It is right that magistrates have some leeway in their decision-making, and it might be they impose another penalty on a motorist such as a heavy fine, but it is hard to see under what circumstances someone can remain on the road having gained 30 points.

“The effectiveness of the points system as a deterrent to poor driving practices should not be eroded.”

Mr Hunt-Cooke said in some cases a breakdown in the system of recording points could lead to drivers gaining more than 12 points.

He said:“Sometimes drivers may not be correctly identified, and points are recorded on more than one driving record at first, and later the records are amalgamated, revealing the true situation.