AA says footballers ‘are not more likely’ to commit driving offences

Roadside assistance tells LBC that Jermaine Pennant, Michail Antonio, and Raheem Sterling are not alone in needing to be cautious of the rules

The AA has said that footballers are no more likely to commit driving offences, with recent high-profile convictions showing the "message for all of us is the same".

Michail Antonio and Raheem Sterling have both been convicted of driving offences in recent months, while Ivan Toney and Wayne Rooney have also committed offences in the past.

And only this week, former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant was spared a driving ban after admitting he drove without insurance to pick up his partner.

But the AA has said that the high-performance cars often favoured by the wealthy make them no more likely to speed, while fines are still a deterrent, despite their high salaries.

A spokesperson told LBC: "These cases shouldn't really be seen as a footballer problem, nor should they be confused with the particular road-safety issues surrounding newly qualified drivers.

"Many of the people involved in these high-profile cases are around 30 or older and may have more than a decade of driving experience."

The AA added that footballers gain the headlines for being in court, but they are, in reality, no more likely to commit driving offences because of their wealth.

Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: “This isn't really about footballers, and it certainly isn't just about inexperienced young drivers. Many of these high-profile cases involve experienced drivers who should know both the law and the risks.

“High-performance cars don't cause speeding, but their acceleration, power and refinement can make it incredibly easy to reach very high speeds very quickly. Ultimately, though, it is the person behind the wheel who controls the accelerator.

“For someone earning a very high salary, a fixed penalty may have less financial impact than it would for the average driver, although fines imposed by the courts for more serious speeding offences can be related to income. The consequences also go well beyond money, with penalty points and the possibility of losing your licence.

“The message for all of us is the same: however powerful the car, however wealthy or famous the driver, and however experienced they may be, we need to respect speed limits and drive to the conditions. On a public road, nobody is above the rules or the laws of physics.”