Southampton drivers are the second worst in the country, a national survey has found

One in three drivers questioned in a national survey from the city said that they have received penalty points on their licence, the second worst percentage in the UK.

Some 35 per cent of people asked said that they had acquired at least one point on their licence.

Only Norwich had a higher percentage at 39, with 27 per cent from Southampton also saying that they had completed a speed awareness course.

The data has been revealed as part of a study by Autotrader that investigated where in the UK drivers overrate. or underrate, their driving skills.

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A survey was carried out in April 2025 using a national sample of 1,000 UK drivers who were asked to rate their own driving skills on a scale from one to ten.

They were also asked to share how many times they took their practical driving test, whether they had any penalty points, and if they had ever attended a speed course.

Analysts from Autotrader compared drivers' self-assessed ability with their actual driving records.Analysts from Autotrader compared drivers' self-assessed ability with their actual driving records. Analysts then compared drivers' self-assessed ability with their actual driving records, comparing their own scores to the percentages of those that had received penalties or done a course to create a final score.

In the entirety of the UK, Southampton had the second worst "driving ability" score at 6.2.

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In comparison, the highest was Edinburgh, which had a 23.8 final rating.

The survey therefore suggests that the confidence of drivers in Southampton outweighs their actual ability.

Erin Baker, editorial director at Autotrader.Erin Baker, editorial director at Autotrader. (Image: Autotrader) Erin Baker, editorial director at Autotrader, said: “No matter what you drive, brushing up with a refresher course or advanced driving session is a great way to sharpen your skills and stay safe on the road — and in some cases, it may even help reduce your car insurance premium.”  

In Leeds, the average self-assessed rating was 7.5, but 34 per cent of people had points on their licence.

This in turn gave the Yorkshire city the worst final score in the UK at 4.9.

Only cities with a minimum of 30 respondents were included in the analysis.