WITH the bank holiday weekend approaching, many of us will be getting ready to hit the roads.

And with that in mind, we decided to take a look at some of the UK's most commonly asked driving questions.

The increase in day trips this weekend will also lead to more opportunities to pick up penalty points on your licence.

What’s more, 1.3 million new drivers are expected to hit UK roads this year, following a huge backlog of driving tests that were cancelled due to Covid-19 – putting them at risk of penalty points, too.

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So to help remind motorists of the rules and regulations of the road, Vanarama have uncovered the most common penalty point questions before answering them.

1. How do you check the points on your license?

Viewing your license information has never been easier, as you can check on the government's website.

All you need is your driving license number, national insurance number and your postcode.

You can then check your driving record, penalty points or create a license ‘check code’ to share your driving record with someone, which you may need to do when hiring a car.

2. How long do points stay on your license?

Points can stay on your driving record for between four and 11 years, however, your points will not adversely affect you for the whole penalty period.

This is because your points are only ‘valid’ for a section of the full endorsement period.

When points are ‘valid’, they can be used in court and counted when tallying your total points, to see if your license should be suspended or banned.

So, if you’re caught committing another offence in the final year of a pre-existing endorsement, the court won’t consider these invalid older points, when calculating your total.

However, all points should still be taken seriously, as they can be seen by future employers and insurance companies.

3. How many points for speeding?

Depending on the severity of the crime, you will be placed into three categories:

  • Band A – three points, and a fine up to 50 per cent of your weekly income.
  • Band B – four to six points, seven to 28 days disqualified from driving, and up to 100 per cent of your weekly income.
  • Band C – six points, seven to 56 days disqualified from driving, and up to 150 per cent of your weekly income.

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This is what you can expect but the magistrate can find you anywhere within a range of 25 per cent on either side of that figure, meaning serious offenders could face a fine of 175 per cent of their weekly income.

This fine, however, is capped at £1,000, rising to £2,500 if you’re caught on a motorway.

4. Are there any speeding loopholes?

No, however, sometimes you will be given the option to attend a speed awareness course instead of taking the points.

The scheme allows motorists who have committed minor offences to improve their behaviour. You will, however, only quality if:

  • You haven’t attended a speed awareness course in the last three years.
  • You’ve been caught driving over 10 per cent + 2mph, but below 10 per cent + 9mph – e.g. in a 30mph road, this means between 35mph and 42mph.

5. Do you have to tell insurance about points straight away?

This differs depending on your insurance policy, which you will need to check.

Whilst most ask you to declare any points received while you’ve been covered by them at renewal time, some state in their terms that you must tell them as soon as you receive the conviction.

Failing to do this is illegal.

6. Can you pay to remove points from your driving licence?

No, you can’t pay. You have to wait until the points expire (a minimum of four years), then the DVLA will automatically remove them.