More than 65,000 learner drivers get points on their licence before they even pass their driving test according to new research from MoneyShake.

Following a Freedom of Information Request, the leasing firm found that of the 65,000+ learners with points, 10,639 have between 7-9 points before they pass, while 1,803 have 10 or more.

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Those 12,442 learners as a result could face having their licences immediately cancelled upon passing their tests –for new drivers, if you acquire more than six points in your first two years of driving, your licence is automatically revoked.

Perhaps most worrying at all is that 80 male 16-year-olds already have penalty points – the legal driving age in the UK is of course 17. The most dangerous group was that of 20-year-old males, with 627 of them having seven penalty points or more.

Learner student driving car with instructor

Overall, 52,802 men already have points on their provisional licence, compared to just 12,252 women – a difference of 40,550 people. Whats more, 10,668 male learners have seven or more penalty points on their record, compared to just 1,673 women.

Government statistics indicate that female learner drivers have significantly fewer points across every point category, and that continues after passing. A 2019 study from Confused.com showed that 79 percent of motoring offences are committed by men, despite both sexes completing largely the same number of miles each year.