Tuesday 3rd May 2005

More Scottish drivers gaoled than burglars

Most sentences unrelated to poor driving

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Drivers less likely to be gaoled

If you're a driver in Scotland and you've forgotten to renew your car tax, beware. You're more likely to be gaoled than if you committed burglary, according to figures released by the Scottish Executive last week, which showed that 1,574 motorists were gaoled in 2003, but only 1,252 burglars.

Most motoring offences were those that annoy us, such as driving without insurance; just 386 resulted from on-the-road driving offences such as drink-driving.

Nigel Humphries, a spokesman for the Association of British Drivers (ABD) reckoned that the figures reflected a war on drivers by the UK government. "There is a ridiculous persecution of the motorist going on. Many are simply being punished in a way that won't prevent further offences.

"Prison is intended as a method by which we remove dangerous people from society such as murderers, rapists and people who damage others. It is an improper use of the tool to send people to jail for a minor motoring offence."

Scottish Police Federation chairman Norrie Flowers said last week that there was a lack of focus on serious crimes. On burglary, he said, "We are not attending their calls quickly enough. Often, by the time we get there, the housebreaker has gone, the mugger has fled, or simply we have been too late to make a difference."

[w00dy]

The only Scottish Drivers (3 of them) i know in jail are those who have killed people and been done with death by dangerous driving

[davefiddes]

People who drive without insurance and road tax are stealing from the rest of us.

Good on the authorities for nicking the NEDs and schemies who feel they are above the law and feel that the rest of us owe them a free ride!

Oh and yet again a quote from the ABD proves that they are a bunch of brain dead anarchists and not in the slightest bit "pro driver" as they claim.

[t1grm]

Excuse my ignorance but WTF does "gaoled" mean?

[RSTurboPaul]

"gaol" is the english spelling and is pronounced "jail", it's just that the americans can't spell so write it phonetically...

[_VTEC_]

davefiddes said:

People who drive without insurance and road tax are stealing from the rest of us. Good on the authorities for nicking the NEDs and schemies who feel they are above the law and feel that the rest of us owe them a free ride! Oh and yet again a quote from the ABD proves that they are a bunch of brain dead anarchists and not in the slightest bit "pro driver" as they claim.

Unfortunately for your argument, burgulars also steal from the rest of us. Even more so infact. This article is mearly attempting to support the argument that the government is more focused on criminalising drivers whilst not giving a stuff about catching the real bad guys.

>> Edited by _VTEC_ on Wednesday 4th May 23:14

[bluejj]

Do not confuse these figures with people being reported for minor offences the people being sent to jail are those recidivist offenders who are sticking two fingers up to the rest of us. Trust me I KNOW!!