Britain's Most Dangerous Drivers Should Face Lifetime Bans

Britain's most dangerous drivers are often handed short sentences, with too many being allowed back behind the wheel too quickly. Research by the Onward think-tank has highlighted the contrast between the severity of the crimes and the leniency of the penalties. The Conservatives are calling for a change in the law to introduce automatic lifetime bans for the worst offenders, citing cases where drivers have been handed short sentences and allowed back on the road in as little as five years.

Key Takeaways:

• Only 1% of people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in 2022 were handed a lifetime driving ban, despite the severity of the crime.
• Half a per cent of those convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving were banned for life, meaning the majority of drivers involved in serious accidents are allowed back on the road.
• Sentencing Council rules set the minimum ban for causing death by dangerous driving at five years, despite the Conservatives' efforts to toughen sentencing in 2022.
• Lifetime bans should be the norm, not the exception, as emphasized by Sir Simon Clarke, director of the Onward think-tank.
• Cases like Cain Byrne, who ran over and killed an 81-year-old cyclist, highlight the need for action: despite never having held a driving licence, Byrne was sentenced to 11 years and six months, but banned from driving for 17 years and eight months.
• In another case, a motorist was jailed for 18 months and banned from driving for three years after running over a cyclist in a road rage incident.

Statistics:

• In 2022, only 1% of people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving were handed a lifetime driving ban.
• Half a per cent of those convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving were banned for life.
• Sentencing Council rules set the minimum ban for causing death by dangerous driving at five years.
• Three years ago, the Conservatives toughened sentencing rules for causing death by dangerous driving, with offenders facing life sentences from 2022 onwards.
• The current Sentencing Council rules say the typical sentence will fall between two and 18 years imprisonment.

Sources:

• [1] Britain's most dangerous drivers should be banned from the roads for life, the Conservatives have said. Just one per cent of people convicted of causing death by dangerous driving last year were handed a lifetime driving ban, new figures reveal.
• [2] Sir Simon Clarke, the director of the Onward think-tank, said: "It's outrageous that killers and serial offenders are being handed their licences back like nothing happened. Lifetime bans should be the norm, not the exception."
• [3] The Conservatives' research, carried out by the Onward think-tank, highlighted cases including that of Cain Byrne, 20, who ran over and killed an 81-year-old cyclist moments after inhaling laughing gas from a balloon.
• [4] Sentencing Council rules set the minimum ban for causing death by dangerous driving at five years.