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https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release/new-report-highlights-human-cost-loophole-law-driving-offences https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release/new-report-highli

by snthd 5y ago

https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release/new-report-highlights-human-cost-loophole-law-driving-offences https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release/new-report-highlight... Would be nice if people were always actually disqualified at 12 points. >While numbers of exceptional hardship pleas are not recorded separately, official figures show that more than 83,000 people escaped an automatic driving ban due to “mitigating circumstances” between 2011 and 2020. >Christopher Gard accumulated eight convictions for using a mobile phone while driving but escaped a ban in June 2015 by arguing that it would cause him to lose his job, highlighting that this would impact negatively on his young son, and his son’s mother. He promised to keep his phone locked in his boot. Six weeks later, he had already broken his promise, and was once again texting behind the wheel when he ploughed into the back of cyclist Lee Martin, killing him. Gard tried to cover up his actions by deleting his texts. He was later jailed for nine years for causing death by dangerous driving.

Arrath 5y ago
Is there any guarantee that disqualification actually keeps these people off the streets? (Honestly asking as I'm not familiar with how the law around this works in the UK) I lost a childhood friend to a woman with a long drunk driving record, who naturally disregarded her suspended license and plowed right through us playing street hokey in broad daylight. Since then I've thought penalties should be more punitive when licenses get suspended, like by impounding the car to ensure that the person can't just drive it anyway. But like the loopholes you mention, I haven't found a way to do it that doesn't incur further hardship, like losing employment or usurious impound lot fees accruing in the interim.
- oliwarner 5y ago
  Of course not. Many people are caught without licences usually because the cars they're driving are uninsured and it's trivial to check, even for civilians. These people get fined, jail time, and points against a pretend license which can act towards a ban (eg no learning). Until we're happy going to a Fifth Element style, license-as-the-key ignition, I don't think we'll achieve what you want. That said, given the drink-driving controls that are being mandated, ID checks seem pretty simple.

by snthd 5y ago

Arrath 5y ago

Is there any guarantee that disqualification actually keeps these people off the streets? (Honestly asking as I'm not familiar with how the law around this works in the UK) I lost a childhood friend to a woman with a long drunk driving record, who naturally disregarded her suspended license and plowed right through us playing street hokey in broad daylight. Since then I've thought penalties should be more punitive when licenses get suspended, like by impounding the car to ensure that the person can't just drive it anyway. But like the loopholes you mention, I haven't found a way to do it that doesn't incur further hardship, like losing employment or usurious impound lot fees accruing in the interim.

oliwarner 5y ago
Of course not. Many people are caught without licences usually because the cars they're driving are uninsured and it's trivial to check, even for civilians. These people get fined, jail time, and points against a pretend license which can act towards a ban (eg no learning). Until we're happy going to a Fifth Element style, license-as-the-key ignition, I don't think we'll achieve what you want. That said, given the drink-driving controls that are being mandated, ID checks seem pretty simple.