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Numbers of drivers found guilty of 'causing death' offences in England and Wales down by 11 per centCTC logo

Numbers of drivers found guilty of 'causing death' offences in England and Wales down by 11 per cent

CTC believes drop may indicate that roads policing is bearing the brunt of cuts
by Alex Bowden
Thu, May 28, 2015 18:07
10

New figures suggest that while cycling deaths have seen an increase from 2013 to 2014, the number of drivers found guilty of 'causing death' offences in England and Wales has dropped by 11 per cent.

CTC reports how according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice, 315 drivers were convicted of 'causing death' driving offences last year - an 11 per cent drop compared to the 355 convictions for such offences in 2013. Official figures for road death have not yet been released, but Great Britain as a whole saw a one per cent increase in the year to September 2014 over the corresponding 12-month period a year earlier (1,730 fatalities compared with 1,711).

While acknowledging that this does not necessarily point to greater leniency, CTC is nevertheless concerned that prosecutions and convictions for fatal driving offences are down despite an increase in the number of fatalities. The organisation believes the figures may indicate that roads policing is bearing the brunt of cuts to overall police numbers.

CTC's campaigns and policy information co-ordinator, Cherry Allan, writes:

“CTC believes that police failings are linked to the severe cuts that the service has suffered over recent years. Traffic police levels in England and Wales fell by 37% from 2002/3-2013/14, from almost 7,000 uniformed officers down to just 4,356. During this time, total policing levels fluctuated a little from year to year, but not nearly to this degree: police officers in March 2014 numbered about 3.5% less than in 2003.”

“Adequate resources help make sure that police investigations are thorough enough to gather sufficient evidence to refer cases to the CPS, and for the CPS to pursue them.”

CTC believes that some bad drivers are treated leniently due to occasional failings of police, prosecutors and the courts.

Earlier this week, the organisation reacted strongly to the news that a Merseyside police officer has been given a written warning for deciding not to prosecute a man who hit a cyclist while driving on the wrong side of the road. Following the death of the cyclist, Daniel Ayers, a review of the evidence eventually led to a 10-month jail sentence. Road safety campaigner, Rhia Favero, framed the original decision as ‘accusing a victim for their own death’.

In February 2014, CTC’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund said the Metropolitan Police’s decision not to refer a case in which a cyclist was hit by a driver from behind was a clear breach of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidelines. Michael Mason died of his injuries, but no prosecution was brought against the driver.

CTC’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund is currently appealing for funds to pay for a private prosecution in the latter case and it is also investigating two further cases – one a very serious injury and one a fatality – where either the police or the CPS declined to prosecute on what CTC describe as ‘apparently spurious grounds’.

Cyclists Defence Fund
CTC
Casualty statistics
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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10 comments

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wknight | 9 years ago
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The problem actually goes deeper and I don't blame it on government cuts, its the Police deciding to send people on courses, issues a fixed penalty notice or given them a caution.

As a result many motoring matters are not coming to court. I know of a number of drivers who should have 6 points and been prosecuted for careless driving, instead they are sent on a course. No time wasted filling out lots of paperwork for court and then having to attend court if the person pleads not guilty.

The outcome is that many courts are closing due to lack of work. My local court is now only open 3 days a week instead of 5. Solicitors are seeing a decrease in their workload as are barristers because solicitors are doing the work instead.

Its time the Police had to follow the Sentencing Guidelines used in the courts and not handed out their own justice.

Avatar
Airzound replied to wknight | 9 years ago
0 likes
wknight wrote:

The problem actually goes deeper and I don't blame it on government cuts, its the Police deciding to send people on courses, issues a fixed penalty notice or given them a caution.

As a result many motoring matters are not coming to court. I know of a number of drivers who should have 6 points and been prosecuted for careless driving, instead they are sent on a course. No time wasted filling out lots of paperwork for court and then having to attend court if the person pleads not guilty.

The outcome is that many courts are closing due to lack of work. My local court is now only open 3 days a week instead of 5. Solicitors are seeing a decrease in their workload as are barristers because solicitors are doing the work instead.

Its time the Police had to follow the Sentencing Guidelines used in the courts and not handed out their own justice.

Errrr ……… it has everything to do with cuts, huge cuts whether police or court costs. Government doesn't care if a few hundred pesky cyclists are killed on our roads each. They see it as a cost saving if errant driver's aren't prosecuted but instead sent on a useless driver awareness that course doesn't even contain any cycle awareness training. It is a badge of honour for many. It's only going to get worse under the rule of the nasty party.

Avatar
ianrobo | 9 years ago
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Well this guy was found guilty ... 6 years for this, our country is sick

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/roch...

Avatar
Airzound replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
0 likes
ianrobo wrote:

Well this guy was found guilty ... 6 years for this, our country is sick

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/roch...

Yeah shocking. In an Audi as well.

He should be doing a 15 year prison stretch with no remission not 6 years out in a pathetic 2 years, or better still, just cut the f*ckers hands off. Uninsured, unlicensed, not his car, out of control arrogant scum.

Avatar
zanf replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
0 likes
ianrobo wrote:

Well this guy was found guilty ... 6 years for this, our country is sick

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/roch...

I've posted this before and will do so again:

Quote:

Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed - they don’t have to be involved in the case.

Only 1 person needs to ask for a sentence to be reviewed.

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence

Avatar
johndonnelly replied to zanf | 9 years ago
0 likes
zanf
I've posted this before and will do so again:

[quote wrote:

Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed - they don’t have to be involved in the case.

Only 1 person needs to ask for a sentence to be reviewed.

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence[/quote]

That page only lists a few types of cases that can be reviewed:

  • murder
  • ...
  • crimes committed because of the victim’s race or religion

I don't see road offenses on the list. I know many of us identify these cases of murder but I doubt the courts do.

Any mileage in getting all the cyclists to specify cycling as a religion at the next census so that we could suggest the incident occurred because of our religion?

Avatar
zanf replied to johndonnelly | 9 years ago
0 likes
johndonnelly wrote:
zanf wrote:

I've posted this before and will do so again:

Quote:

Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed - they don’t have to be involved in the case.

Only 1 person needs to ask for a sentence to be reviewed.

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence

That page only lists a few types of cases that can be reviewed:

  • murder
  • ...
  • crimes committed because of the victim’s race or religion

I don't see road offenses on the list. I know many of us identify these cases of murder but I doubt the courts do.

Any mileage in getting all the cyclists to specify cycling as a religion at the next census so that we could suggest the incident occurred because of our religion?

This guys sentence is going to be reviewed because people asked for it to be.

Avatar
johndonnelly replied to zanf | 9 years ago
0 likes
zanf
I've posted this before and will do so again:

[quote wrote:

Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed - they don’t have to be involved in the case.

Only 1 person needs to ask for a sentence to be reviewed.

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence[/quote]

That page only lists a few types of cases that can be reviewed:

  • murder
  • ...
  • crimes committed because of the victim’s race or religion

I don't see road offenses on the list. I know many of us identify these cases of murder but I doubt the courts do.

Any mileage in getting all the cyclists to specify cycling as a religion at the next census so that we could suggest the incident occurred because of our religion?

Avatar
Kim | 9 years ago
0 likes

It is shocking, but then the culture of the Sacred Driving Licence alive and well. All we can do is protest and lobby as hard as we can.

Avatar
Airzound | 9 years ago
0 likes

The cops and CPS DGAF about cyclists as they often demonstrate.

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