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Tougher sentences for drivers - BBC front page story

Posted: 6 May 2014, 8:29am
by Dynamite_funk

Re: Tougher sentences for drivers - BBC front page story

Posted: 6 May 2014, 10:12am
by karlt
Once someone's been killed the horse has bolted and it doesn't really matter how hard the stable door is slammed shut. I'd propose:

1. Police prosecute dangerous driving offences whether an injury death occurred or not. Sentencing according to the likely outcome, not the actual outcome. If by the grace of God you don't kill someone by driving at 120MPH down the M6 I see no reason you should have a lower penalty than someone who does.

2. Driving while disqualified attracting a custodial sentence for the remainder of the ban - i.e. if you can't be trusted not to drive during the driving ban, then it will be made impossible for you to do so.

Re: Tougher sentences for drivers - BBC front page story

Posted: 6 May 2014, 12:00pm
by eileithyia
The problem is preventing banned drivers from driving in the first place, as said, a hefty custodial sentence once they have killed someone, while banned, is shutting the stable door a weeee bit late.... and no consolation to the bereaved family..

About to be discussed by Jeremy Vine but just heard a snippet that a large proportion of 'accidents' are caused by drivers who are banned or doing something illegal ....

Perhaps there should be some sort of tagging system that prevents them driving...???

Re: Tougher sentences for drivers - BBC front page story

Posted: 6 May 2014, 12:34pm
by thirdcrank
Prevention is always preferable to detection and punishment. Increasing the severity of punishment is a normal route when the stem is perceived to be failing. (The standard illustration of this is the way establishment of the Metropolitan Police led to a reduction in the number of offences punishable by death.)

An inevitable result of these measures will be an increase in the number of both hit-and-runs and drivers deciding to try to escape police by dangerous high-speed getaway driving.

Re: Tougher sentences for drivers - BBC front page story

Posted: 24 May 2014, 9:35am
by Cunobelin
There are warning signs already.

Take speeding... it is unequivocally linked to tail gating, failing to give way at junctions, and other behaviour

This is because speeding drivers tend to be "risk takers" and the other "high risk activities" follow this behaviour

Anyone who has a number of speeding tickets, or a speeding ticket and "other" driving offence SHOULD be flagged as a major risk to other road users and action taken.


Why not a "three strikes and out" type of penalty where a license is lifted automatically as opposed to the bizarre present situation where drivers can still be out there with 40 odd points on their license.