Revealed: Areas where drivers have highest number of penalty points

Of the 1.04 million drivers active across the Black Country, Cannock Chase, South Staffordshire and Stafford, 65,975 – or 6.6 per cent – have points on their licence.

The figures have come from regtransfers.co.uk analysis of official Department for Transport data.

Dudley is statistically the worst borough for drivers with penalty points, with 7.5 per cent of drivers within the DY postcode possessing at least three points.

The worst area is Stourport (DY13), with more than one in 10 drivers possessing points.

Other high percentage areas include Kidderminster (DY10), where 9.4 per cent of drivers have points, and Bewdley (DY12), where nine per cent of drivers have points.

Stourport councillor Chris Rogers, who sits on Worcestershire County Council, believes the high numbers in his ward and nearby Kidderminster and Bewdley could be down to the notorious speed camera on the A449 Wolverhampton Road in Broadwaters.

He said: "I can't think of one obvious single reason as to why Stourport has the highest percentage but there is the notorious speed camera on the A449 that at one point was the most prolific earning camera in the country.

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"People driving to Merry Hill shopping centre and towards the Black Country would use that road and pass that camera.

"More locally we have the Safer Roads Partnership Van which regularly catches drivers on the Hartlebury Road and the A449 heading towards Worcester.

"The Hartlebury Road used to be a 40mph limit that is now a 30, so it is very easy to get caught out."

The county of Staffordshire also boasts penalty point hotspots, with 7.9 per cent of drivers in Stafford's ST21and 7.9 per cent in Cannock's WS12 possessing points.

Overall 6.6 per cent of drivers in Cannock Chase, South Staffordshire and Stafford have points on their licence. The best area in the county was ST20, in Stafford, where only five per cent of drivers boasted points.

A total of 6.1 per cent of drivers in both Sandwell and Walsall have points on their licence. The worst area across both the boroughs was B66 in Smethwick, where 7.3 per cent of drivers have penalty points. The best postcode was WS4 in Walsall where only 5.1 per cent of drivers have points.

In Wolverhampton 6.2 per cent of drivers have points, including 6.8 per cent of drivers in WV1, WV2 and WV6 and just five per cent in WV12.

Rick Cadger, of Regtransfers said: "While the number of points on a driver's licence may be an indicator of poor driving, it's interesting to consider factors such as road standards, the quality of driving education and the degree of road law enforcement in the area."