ROAD safety campaigners say they are “astonished” that drivers with as many as 51 points on their licences are still allowed on the county’s roads.

A Freedom of Information request from the Oxford Mail to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) discovered 42 motorists with Oxfordshire addresses have 12 or more penalty points.

That amount would normally lead to disqualification.

One female driver has clocked up 51 points on her provisional licence, but is not currently banned.

Nicci Saunders, of Eynsham, whose partner Joe Wilkins was killed when he was knocked off his bike in Eaton Road, near Appleton, in 2012 said she could not believe the figures.

Paul Brown, then of Oxford Road, Eynsham, who was driving the vehicle which hit Mr Wilkins, admitted causing death by careless driving and was banned from getting behind the wheel for 12 months.

Miss Saunders, 42, said: “People who have got large numbers of points should not be on the roads.

“Fifty-one points is unbelievable – I cannot fathom why anybody would have that many. It makes me feel the roads are not as safe as they should be.”

In some cases a driver may be banned but still have points which remain on their licence for many years after their disqualification period ends.

In other cases the courts may decide to exempt someone despite them clocking up 12 or more points – for example if the driver successfully argues they need their car for work.

Miss Saunders said: “I find it ridiculous in some cases that people can say they need their car for their job and get off with it.

“If you have that many points and you need your car for your job you should not be so careless.”

Drivers with a full licence are normally banned if they pick up 12 points in the space of three years. Provisional drivers can lose their licence if they get six points in two years.

Breaking the speed limit comes with a penalty of between three and six points while drink-driving or causing death by dangerous driving can lead to up to 11 points.

Road safety campaigner Ted Dewan, from Summertown, said he could not understand the discrepancy between driving and other activities.

The 54-year-old said: “I am astonished at how it is virtually impossible to lose the ability to drive a car.

“How many people do you have to kill or how many times do you have to be drunk?

“If you had a pilot who was incompetent enough to get so many points you would not want him flying over your house.”

There are currently 1,056 people with Oxfordshire addresses who are banned from driving.

DVLA head of data sharing Robert Taft said: “Magistrates’ courts’ sentencing guidelines provide a framework setting out how to establish the seriousness of each case and the most appropriate way of dealing with it.

“In a small percentage of cases, where the driver has accumulated 12 or more penalty points, the DVLA understands that a court can exercise its discretion and not disqualify the driver.

“Following the period of disqualification imposed, drivers can re-apply for their licence, meaning that they can have a high number of valid penalty points and current entitlement to drive.”

Thames Valley Police spokesman Gareth Ford-Lloyd said: “Sentencing is a matter for the courts and not something we comment on.

“In more general terms, the driver licensing system is designed to mitigate risk and encourage safer use of the roads. Sentencing is an integral part of that process and those in the justice system are well placed to make informed decisions about each case.”