Over a million drivers are only a single conviction away from being stripped of their licences, it's been announced.
Up to 16% of those who can drive have penalty points for going over the speed limit.
Of these, 21 per cent have nine or more penalty points - only one ruling from being disqualified.
The number is a rise from 17 per cent in 2006 and shows the amount of people on the edge of losing their permit has increased by an additional 215,000 in 12 months.
The North East is the area where the greatest number of motorists have penalty points - a fifth of them have been nabbed for driving violations.
The region with the least is the South East of England, where just eight per cent of those sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle have destroyed their chances of having a clean permit.
Motorists have had to shell out over £300 million in speeding camera charges in the last three years, discloses the research carried out by the insurance firm Direct Line.
Almost 50 per cent of punishments concerned motorists being above the limit by under 10 mph.
Yet under an innovative graduated penalty points system, any individual driving at less than 10 mph above the limit is liable to be given fewer points than the present three.
Emma Holyer, a spokesperson for Direct Line, is quoted as saying by the Metro: 'We urge motorists not to break the law because they face numerous consequences, such as killing or injuring themselves or others, disqualification, job loss and financial loss.'