DRIVERS in Caerphilly county borough are the second most-likely to have picked up penalty points for offences such as speeding and dangerous driving.

DVLA figures show the county the county has, per capita, the second-highest number of drivers with six or more points on their licences

The figures show how many drivers have racked up the penalty points in each of Wales' 22 local authorities.

Newport's drivers ranked eighth – the only other local authority to make the top 10 list of the counties with the least law-abiding motorists.

Blaenau Gwent (16th), Monmouthshire (17th), and Torfaen (18th) all placed nearer the most well-behaved drivers.

Across Wales, there are more than 35,000 drivers with six or more points on their licences.

South Wales Argus: DVLA figuresDVLA figures

Denbighshire was the county with the most drivers who picked up six or more points.

And road users in Ceredigion can celebrate being named the most well-behaved drivers in Wales.

The figures were obtained via a Freedom of Information request by van and car leasing firm Hippo Leasing.

Tom Preston, the company's managing director, said: "“The penalty points system exists to promote road safety and remove dangerous drivers from the roads, so it’s fascinating to see where in Wales motorists are most likely to be carrying 6 or more points on their licence or be banned from driving altogether.

"This new DVLA data gives an interesting insight into which motorists are following the rules…and which aren’t. It’s particularly poignant given the Transport Committee’s recently opened inquiry into the UK Government’s approach to road safety.”

– Banned drivers

If a driver picks up 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period, they will be banned from driving.

New drivers are automatically disqualified from driving if they receive six or more points in the first two years.

Across Gwent, only Newport (eighth) and Blaenau Gwent (ninth) made the list of counties with the most banned drivers per capita.

The other Gwent counties – Caerphilly (15th), Torfaen (18th), and Monmouthshire (20th) – all ranked near the counties with the least banned drivers.

Again, Denbighshire ranked first with the most banned drivers, per capita, of all Wales' 22 local authorities. Powys had the fewest.

– How the list was calculated

The DVLA figures revealed how many drivers with six or more points lived in each county. But to ensure the figures were representative of population size, that total number of drivers with six or more points was divided by the total number of registered drivers in each county, and then multiplied by 100,000.