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Huge support for automatic bans for drivers who kill or injure

Results of survey commissioned by Cycling UK published at start of Road Safety Week

Three in four people in the UK support automatic minimum driving bans for motorists who cause serious injuries to other road users, according to a new poll from Cycling UK.

The findings of the survey have been released today to coincide with the start of Road Safety Week, which runs until next Sunday 25 November.

Besides the 77 per cent of respondents calling for a minimum ban for drivers convicted of causing serious injuries, 83 per cent said that an automatic ban should apply where the driver was found guilty of killing someone, which should apply automatically where the charge is causing death by dangerous driving.

However, the charity says that figures from the Ministry of Justice for last year show that 28 drivers convicted of the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving did not have a direct ban imposed on them, as well as 61 motorists guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The poll also found strong support for mandatory retesting before drivers disqualified in cases where serious injury or death has resulted, at 83 per cent and 86 per cent respectively. Currently, retests are only compulsory where the driver has been sentenced for causing death by dangerous driving.

The survey, conducted last week by YouGov among 2,123 adults, of whom 1,585 are motorists, also asked the latter to give their opinion of their own driving.

Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s commented: “It’s clear the public believe that drivers who have presented the most danger to others should be removed from our roads, but they’re less clear about what amounts to risky behaviour.

“Whilst 91 per cent of respondents with a full driving licence thought they were ‘competent and careful’ drivers, over half of them admitted to speeding on roads with 30 mph limits and 20mph limits, the latter usually being imposed around schools, hospitals and where our children walk and play.

“If so many people are unable to recognise that speeding in such areas presents risks, and that they’re not driving carefully and competently when doing so, it’s no surprise that our laws around careless and dangerous driving are in such a mess.

“Those laws are based on the standard of the careful and competent driver. However in court, this standard is based on the subjective views of what jurors see as acceptable driving behaviour, not on what is actually safe.

“We need to review our road traffic laws so there’s a clearer objective standard for the driving we expect on our roads, otherwise what’s judged to be careless or dangerous driving will remain a lottery."

Cycling UK has recently repeated its call for the government to make good on a 2014 pledge to carry out a wide-ranging review of all road traffic offences, including how such cases are investigated, prosecuted and sentenced.

> Most drivers in fatal collisions with cyclists avoid jail says Cycling UK research

“As we head in to Road Safety Week 2018, now is the time to focus on the solutions to make our roads safer for everyone,” Dollimore added.

“The government has one of the answers: a wide review of road traffic offences and penalties announced in May 2014. Since then little has been done, which is why this week Cycling UK hopes they will finally take road danger seriously and make good on this promise and begin the review.”

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at Brake, the charity that co-ordinates Road Safety Week, added:  “Our road laws must do all they can to protect us from unsafe drivers, but flaws in the current framework limit this ability.

“A review of road traffic offences and penalties is needed to regain the public’s trust and to ensure that just and fair outcomes are consistently delivered.”

After pressure from Cycling UK and Brake, Members of Parliament are due to debate road safety at the House of Commons tomorrow evening and you can send your MP a pre-prepared letter to ask them to attend by following this link.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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11 comments

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vonhelmet | 6 years ago
2 likes

Just to expand on my previous answer, this is a case where it is actually legitimate to refer to something as “virtue signalling”, rather than that merely being a cheap retort in an argument. If someone asks you if you support stronger penalties for dangerous drivers, then it’s a hard question to say no to, regardless of whether you actually want that in practise.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to vonhelmet | 6 years ago
2 likes

vonhelmet wrote:

Just to expand on my previous answer, this is a case where it is actually legitimate to refer to something as “virtue signalling”, rather than that merely being a cheap retort in an argument. If someone asks you if you support stronger penalties for dangerous drivers, then it’s a hard question to say no to, regardless of whether you actually want that in practise.

 

They support stronger penalties for dangerous drivers, it's just that in practice there are very few drivers they would actually define as 'dangerous'.  Probably for many respondants the category would be restricted to immigrant Muslim car theives on drugs.  Who also ride a bike.

Avatar
alansmurphy | 6 years ago
6 likes

I am careful and competent, I speed past schools and kids playgrounds but rarely drop my phone or spill my frapuccino!

Avatar
CygnusX1 replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes

alansmurphy wrote:

I am careful and competent, I speed past schools and kids playgrounds but rarely drop my phone or spill my frapuccino!

Doesn't count unless you are also balancing a bowl of cornflakes in your lap

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
4 likes

CygnusX1 wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

I am careful and competent, I speed past schools and kids playgrounds but rarely drop my phone or spill my frapuccino!

Doesn't count unless you are also balancing a bowl of cornflakes in your lap

Are you sure you're not mixing up drivers and serial killers?

Avatar
burtthebike replied to CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
1 like

CygnusX1 wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

I am careful and competent, I speed past schools and kids playgrounds but rarely drop my phone or spill my frapuccino!

Doesn't count unless you are also balancing a bowl of cornflakes in your lap

Or doing your makeup in the mirror.

Avatar
StuInNorway replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
1 like

burtthebike wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

I am careful and competent, I speed past schools and kids playgrounds but rarely drop my phone or spill my frapuccino!

Doesn't count unless you are also balancing a bowl of cornflakes in your lap

Or doing your makeup in the mirror.

Don't forget shaving (face, armpits, or whatever  3 ) on the way to an important meeting.

 

Avatar
StuInNorway replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

CygnusX1 wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

I am careful and competent, I speed past schools and kids playgrounds but rarely drop my phone or spill my frapuccino!

Doesn't count unless you are also balancing a bowl of cornflakes in your lap

Or doing your makeup in the mirror.

Don't forget shaving (face, armpits, or whatever  3 ) on the way to an important meeting.

 

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
4 likes

For the love of Saint Chris, why isn't this law yet?

Avatar
vonhelmet replied to hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
4 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

For the love of Saint Chris, why isn't this law yet?

Because the people who allegedly want stricter laws will never actually vote for them.

Avatar
burtthebike | 6 years ago
4 likes

The failure of this government to implement the review promised four years ago is a scandal, and CUK and Brake deserve, no, require our support.  We've all seen the dangerous close passes that aren't even prosecuted, let alone achieving the just outcome of a driving ban.  This is an ideal opportunity to let the government know that we are united and extremely concerned, and that we expect action.

My letter is adapted and sent, please do the same.  MPs really do take lots of letters on the same subject seriously, so one or two don't matter, but an avalanche really makes them sit up and take notice.

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