Drivers with double the number of traffic fines run double the risk of a traffic accident, according to research published on Tuesday by the road safety research institute SWOV.

The research was carried out by comparing 115,000 number plates from accident data with that from the central collection agency. The comparison shows that nine fines a year makes the chance of an accident ten times as likely as with one fine a year.
Of the 115,000 number plates used for the research, 52 had more than 100 fines in a year. The maximum number of fines on one number plate was 730.
It is not possible to tell from a number plate comparison whether the same person was driving. However, the SWOV says there is no reason to assume it was a different driver each time.
The group with more than nine fines a year is just 0.5% of the population but is involved in 6% of road accidents. The SWOV says a speed limiter in cars could be the answer.