The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has responded to the publication of new research from insurance comparison site Confused.com regarding the considerable number of learner drivers in the UK that have already accumulated points on their licence, before even passing their test.

According to a freedom of information (FOI) request by the company to the DVLA, more than one-fifth (22 per cent) of motoring offenders receive points on their provisional licence, with approximately 54,000 learner drivers currently in this position in the UK.

Overall, the majority (60 per cent) of offences were shown to be speeding related, while one-third (33 per cent) of learner drivers were handed points for being in charge of a vehicle without insurance and 15 per cent were charged with careless driving.

Moreover, almost one-third (29 per cent) of motorists were unaware of the fact they could receive penalty points before officially passing their test – a further 40 per cent were oblivious to the fact that individuals who pick up six points or more within the first two years of holding a licence will automatically have it revoked.

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig responded: "It is incredibly shocking that so many new drivers are accumulating points especially before officially passing their test. The one positive aspect is that bad driving is being spotted and prosecuted.

"Attitudes to driving are set from a very young age, so parents have a key role to play in preventing their child becoming an accident statistic."

Worryingly, the research also showed that 28 per cent of learner drivers state they are "not confident at all" about their ability to drive safely when out on the roads.

Meanwhile, the FOI request also highlighted a considerable proportion of Britons (33 per cent) who believe it should be the instructor or individual responsible for the vehicle who should take any prosecution on behalf of learners, with 12 per cent also believing they should take on any points accrued by a learner driver in their car.

However, the law remains clear on the point and states it is illegal for anyone to take points or a prosecution on the behalf of another.

The findings also revealed how almost one-fifth (17 per cent) of people across the UK currently believe the driving practical and theory test should be made more difficult to ensure new motorists are safer when they are eventually allowed to take to the roads on their own.

At present, the government is in the process of putting together a green paper on the issue of driver training in the UK, with its publication scheduled to take place in the coming months.

Gemma Stanbury, head of car insurance at Confused.com, concluded: "It's concerning that a considerable number of motorists were unaware that they could get penalty points on their licence before officially passing their test.

"Not only could these points contribute to their licence being revoked if they accumulate six points in any way within the first two years of driving, but they could also lead to increased insurance premiums when they are able to get back behind the wheel."