Life time driving ban for some offences

[Slow.Patrol]

Should it be an option for certain serious driving offences to attract a life time driving ban?

Kill or seriously injure someone with your car because you drove like an idiot, drunk or under the influence of drugs and you will never get behind a wheel again.

Too harsh?

Would it be a deterrent?

[heebeegeetee]

No, I don't think it would be a deterrent, I think it would just lead to an increase in unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road.

[RacingStripes]

Given life isn't life when you deliberately murder someone then no.

[Doofus]

heebeegeetee said:

No, I don't think it would be a deterrent, I think it would just lead to an increase in unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road.

The likelihood is that they're already unlicensed and uninsured, so it probably won't.

[agtlaw]

Slow.Patrol said:

Should it be an option for certain serious driving offences to attract a life time driving ban?

Kill or seriously injure someone with your car because you drove like an idiot, drunk or under the influence of drugs and you will never get behind a wheel again.

Too harsh?

Would it be a deterrent?

A lifetime ban is already an option for any offence that carries a discretionary disqualification. E.g. Speeding (at any speed) has a potential lifetime ban.

I assume you mean an obligatory lifetime ban for some offences?

Note that if a lifetime ban is imposed then the offender can apply to the court for the disqualification to end early. Remove this provision?

[Mr Tidy]

Doofus said:

heebeegeetee said:

No, I don't think it would be a deterrent, I think it would just lead to an increase in unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road.

The likelihood is that they're already unlicensed and uninsured, so it probably won't.

That's my take on it too - they aren't going to take any notice.

[tigger1]

Sadly I don't think a lifetime ban would change much. The prospect of lengthy bans doesn't seem to act as much of a deterrent now - folk just cry "mitigating circumstances" (I'd do away with that option first...) when they get caught for a 5th/6th time (once speed awareness courses are taken into consideration)

I do think it should also be harder to re-acquire a licence following certain bans (along the lines of proper psychiatric testing - suitability to drive - for those banned for dangerous driving offences), and I think the punishment for being caught driving when banned / without having properly regained licence should be very severe.

[agtlaw]

Sentencing council:

“Lifetime disqualifications will be rare, in particular because of the increased risk of breach and the possibility of hindering rehabilitation prospects. Lifetime disqualifications will generally be inappropriate unless there is:
psychiatric evidence and/or
evidence of many previous convictions
indicating that the offender would be a danger to the public indefinitely if allowed to drive.”

[Austin Prefect]

Suppose someone has a ban with a requirement to retake and pass their test before regaining a full licence. If they drive after the ban has expired, without having passed their test and on a provisional without L plates or supervision. Is that regarded as equivalent to driving while banned or more like a learner unsupervised?

[Yellow Lizud]

Instead of just banning bad driving for a certain length of time, their licence should be revoked, i.e. back to L plates and they have to pass their test again before they can drive.
I realise this could just put more unlicensed drivers on the road but it might make some people think about it a bit more if they had all the hassle and cost of another test instead of just a driving break for a year or so.

Then make driving without a licence MUCH more serious.

[agtlaw]

Austin Prefect said:

Suppose someone has a ban with a requirement to retake and pass their test before regaining a full licence. If they drive after the ban has expired, without having passed their test and on a provisional without L plates or supervision. Is that regarded as equivalent to driving while banned or more like a learner unsupervised?

The latter. Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

[drmike37]

Maybe such people should be put on the sex offenders register. That might be a deterrent.

[Oceanrower]

drmike37 said:

Maybe such people should be put on the sex offenders register. That might be a deterrent.

Have you been drinking?

[reddiesel]

agtlaw said:

Sentencing council:

Lifetime disqualifications will be rare, in particular because of the increased risk of breach and the possibility of hindering rehabilitation prospects. Lifetime disqualifications will generally be inappropriate unless there is:
psychiatric evidence and/or
evidence of many previous convictions
indicating that the offender would be a danger to the public indefinitely if allowed to drive.

I don't think a day passes when I don't give thanks for reading some of these Posts . At least if the extremists posting this drivel are online here , then they aren't sitting on a Jury somewhere advocating Capital Punishment for some drug addicted shoplifter .

[Yellow Lizud]

reddiesel said:

I don't think a day passes when I don't give thanks for reading some of these Posts . At least if the extremists posting this drivel are online here , then they aren't sitting on a Jury somewhere advocating Capital Punishment for some drug addicted shoplifter .

So what do you suggest they do with the drug addicted shoplifters?
Because whatever it is at the moment isn't solving drug addiction or shoplifting.

[Slow.Patrol]

reddiesel said:

I don't think a day passes when I don't give thanks for reading some of these Posts . At least if the extremists posting this drivel are online here , then they aren't sitting on a Jury somewhere advocating Capital Punishment for some drug addicted shoplifter .

OP here.

I started this thread after watching something on TV about someone who had used their car deliberately to drive into pedestrians.

https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/news/wiltshire/new...

Now to me, punishment is a deterrent, but having read some of the comments on this thread, I realise that some people don't think that way at all.

Now what I don't understand is why you feel it necessary to call people extremists for wanting to have a discussion about life time driving bans.

Perhaps you can explain that one to me.

[Type R Tom]

There is someone who has recently killed their second cyclist in London. Been to jail for the first after doing 70 in a 30.

I'm not convinced a lifetime ban from driving would have prevented the second fatal, having a licence may not have been a factor to driving again.

I really think the key should be thrown away but if he does get out, he really, legally, should never drive again.

[eldrich]

I don't think lifetime bans will work - look at the number of drink/drug drivers who are repeat offenders and are already disqualified. The only way to stop some people from driving is to place them somewhere where they can not drive.

[reddiesel]

Yellow Lizud said:

So what do you suggest they do with the drug addicted shoplifters?
Because whatever it is at the moment isn't solving drug addiction or shoplifting.

It's not being solved because nothing meaningful is being done . The smell of weed for example wafting through the air is as much a part of English Life as Red Pillar Boxes once were and your average copper just carries on his merry way . I have to say given both Government and Societies attitude , you can hardly blame him . I have a Somalian around the Corner who deals in the stuff . Just out of Prison early , he is already back behind the wheel of a succession of Leased Cars (BMW and Mercedes) carrying on his Business . I stopped a Traffic Copper some time back , gave him the Drug Dealers index number thinking he would perhaps put a marker on the Car . Thats not the way things work the obese halfwit told me . You have to either go to the Police Station (unmanned) or phone it in(a thousand pre recorded options and an endless wait) . Crimestoppers is another option . This is the attitude and level of Service the Public are confronted with .

[reddiesel]

Slow.Patrol said:

OP here.

I started this thread after watching something on TV about someone who had used their car deliberately to drive into pedestrians.

https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/news/wiltshire/new...

Now to me, punishment is a deterrent, but having read some of the comments on this thread, I realise that some people don't think that way at all.

Now what I don't understand is why you feel it necessary to call people extremists for wanting to have a discussion about life time driving bans.

Perhaps you can explain that one to me.

You don't want to have a discussion , you want to stand on a band box and advocate bringing back hanging . AGT Law has told you why your suggestions aren't feasible . Perhaps come election time you want to demonstrate some practical nous and Vote for a Party that wants to ditch the European Human Rights legislation . We can then get Jack Reagan round to give them a good kicking on their way to either a stiff sentence or Deportation . You'll have my support with that .