Skip to main content

UK introduces tougher sentencing for vehicle offences

The UK is to introduce tougher sentences for serious driving offences. This will focus on those repeat offenders who are driving while disqualified and cause deaths or serious injuries to others. The move comes in the wake of several campaigns on behalf of victims of bad drivers. Disqualified drivers will face a maximum of 10 years for those who kill and four years for those who cause serious injuries. The current maximum sentence is only two years for a death, while there is no specific offence for causing
May 13, 2014 Read time: 1 min
The UK is to introduce tougher sentences for serious driving offences. This will focus on those repeat offenders who are driving while disqualified and cause deaths or serious injuries to others. The move comes in the wake of several campaigns on behalf of victims of bad drivers. Disqualified drivers will face a maximum of 10 years for those who kill and four years for those who cause serious injuries. The current maximum sentence is only two years for a death, while there is no specific offence for causing a serious injury while disqualified.

Related Content

  • UK sees road safety gain in 2020
    January 29, 2021
    The UK has seen a road safety gain in 2020.
  • One in 20 adults involved in UK road accident in 2012, IAM claims
    August 8, 2013
    One in 20 adults was involved in a road accident in the UK in 2012, according to road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Referring to information from the National Travel Survey (NTS) published by the Department for Transport (DfT), the IAM says the survey shows that 5.2% of the population admit to having been involved in an accident. The IAM says the DfT figures also reveal that men (5.6%) are more likely to be involved in an accident than women (4.8%). Overall, the IAM adds, the fi
  • Tailgating risk in UK, and elsewhere
    April 25, 2012
    Safety campaigners in the UK have reacted with concern following the release of a study showing 53% of drivers tailgate while travelling at speed on motorways. There has been an increase in the problem of tailgating over the last seven years since a similar study was carried out, showing 49% of drivers were guilty of this dangerous practice. The study was carried out jointly by road safety body Brake and insurance firm Direct Line. Men are particularly likely to tailgate, with the study revealing 30% of mal
  • Ireland’s road safety is improving, slowly
    November 11, 2019
    Ireland’s road safety levels are improving, but perhaps more slowly than is desirable. In 2018 there were 142 road deaths in Ireland. A significant improvement over the last 20 years where compared with the 458 road deaths in the country seen in 1998. Of note is that for 2014-2018, 25% of all fatal crashes and 20% of crashes involving serious injuries occurred during the 22.00-06.00 period when traffic volumes are typically low. In addition, 75% of crashes occurring from 2013-2016 in the 22.00-06.00 period