229 Points And Still Driving

[All uphill]

I think when it comes to public safety locking people up is very justified.

The guy that got 3 years for selling dodgy Firesticks was no physical risk to anyone. Turf him out to make space for people that really do endanger us, have the Firestick guy do some community service that benefits society.

While a persistent banned or uninsured driver is in prison the rest of us are a little bit safer.

Spot on.

Incarceration is not great for rehabilitation and recovery - there are better options for that - but it does protect the public.

 

[simongt]

Would graduated fines be more effective - £500 per point ?

In one European country, can't recall which, apparently driving fines are allocated as a percentage of your income, thus all pay an evenly proportional amount.
Seems a fairer system.

 

[classic33]

In one European country, can't recall which, apparently driving fines are allocated as a percentage of your income, thus all pay an evenly proportional amount.
Seems a fairer system.

Finland

 

[Vantage]

Exceptional hardship is supposed to be the deterrent against crime.
I wonder if I were to murder someone, could I get away with it by claiming that incarceration would be exceptional hardship for me and my kids?

 

[PeteXXX]

A driver from Northampton was clocked speeding at an eye-watering 125mph on a notorious stretch of the A43.

Blessing Bhebe, aged 32, was behind the wheel of a BMW snapped by Northamptonshire Police mobile speed cameras on the Corby bypass at 7.06am on April 24, 2024. The legal limit on the dual carriageway road is 70mph.
Bhebe, of Clarence Avenue pleaded guilty using the single justice procedure, where cases are dealt with by a single magistrate using paperwork without requiring a court appearance. He was fined £600 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £240 plus £90 towards prosecution costs and also disqualified from driving for 14 days.

Plus a few others on the same stretch of road
~ Local rag linkie ~

 

[mjr]

" Exceptional hardship" to the driver's dependants should not mean that they are allowed to remain an exceptional danger to the rest of us.

They are also being allowed to continue being an exceptional danger to those they are driving for, either from them being in the car with the incompetent cockwomble, or that simply one day that driver may total themselves and never come home again. The grim reaper will not accept exceptional hardship pleas after they head-on a wall.

It's cruel to their dependents to allow the incompetent to keep driving.

 

[Psamathe]

I'm something of a "fan" of the French VSP system. It's not perfect but a lot lot better than the UK system as in effect it removes the "Impact of my charity work if I'm banned" or my dependents or whatever excuse to avoid a ban is thought to evade proper punishment.

So your mega wealthy footballer or TV star who repeatedly accumulates points can then be banned as they can still drive to do "their charity work" but in a VSP. And it's probably a good discouragement to many breaking road laws as for your wealthy supercar petrolhead who feels exempt from the law ('cos they are such capable drivers), turning up at events in a VSP is probably more of a punishment than any massive fine.

For those not familiar with the French VSP system briefly it's a type of motor car you can drive without a license. You still need insurance but no licence means if you get banned for offences you can go buy your VSP and still drive around

Ian

 

[Alex321]

In one European country, can't recall which, apparently driving fines are allocated as a percentage of your income, thus all pay an evenly proportional amount.
Seems a fairer system.

In theory that is true here, once you go beyond the fixed penalty level.

Fines are always Band A, Band B or similar, and those bands are defined as a % of relevant weekly income.
E.g.