Driving Bans

Should banned drivers ever be allowed back behind the wheel?


  • Total voters
    19
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sevenfourate

Devotee of OCD
Counter to that, ive been drivjng 38 uewrs without so much as a penalty point, and I have driven Plenty of empty roads so its not unreasonable to expect others can manage the same and then not complain when they cant.

But fair play for fessing. However, the fact that you've been on the receiving end doesn't make you impartial. Too damn right you don't want a lifetime ban, because its you, in much the same way other classes of criminal never feel they deserve the punishment.

Drivers trot out the old guff about the feds being out catching burglars, but it's less well known that burglars when caught oft demand to know why the dibble aren't out hassling motorists. No one thinks they deserve the punishment.

And why the need to speed like that? Had you not been caught would you really have got anything beneficial out of it, or gained anything? No, it's was pointless to be doing it, and just because the road is emptying a strange reason to feel the urge to do something pointless.

Nevertheless, the laws of physics don't pop off to take a quick break just because the road is clear, or because its 4am. If something goes wrong on a clear road it is liable to be just as disastrous for someone, even if only you.

The other danger with that kind of selective adherence to the rules of the road is that it quickly becomes habit forming, and before long its not just an open empty road, or 4 in the morning. No, they start to pinch an inch everywhere.

Drive diligently at all timees and pretty soon that becomes an easy habit too.

…..you aim this to me: yet posted this yourself only yesterday 🙄



“…..had an MX5 up my arris on Wednesday. The mighty 2008 had more grunt than his scooot so every hill etc I'd squeeze it a bit and leave him behind but soon as I was back to a sensible pace he was up my tailpipe again.

So, seeing as he was hood-down I unleashed the screenwashers, and a few litres of Halfords finest soon had the eejut backing off to a more sensible distance.

So today's car DIY was topping up the screenwash.”
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I think all bans being lifetime is a daft idea. There are a huge variety of offences and circumstances and the sentence should be proportionate.

However, some bans should definitely be lifetime.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
You have zero knowledge of the road, camera position, other traffic or anything else.

In your own words, it was straight, clear and with good vision, and it was dry. That gives us a whole heap of knowledge about the road and traffic conditions.. There must have been next to zero traffic or it wouldn’t have been clear, no rain or other conditions to obscure the view, must have been in daylight otherwise you wouldn’t have a good view, road straight etc. Hardly zero knowledge, that’s a lot of knowledge.
 
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mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I think all bans being lifetime is a daft idea. There are a huge variety of offences and circumstances and the sentence should be proportionate.

However, some bans should definitely be lifetime.
I would revoke the licence of anyone banned, rather than returning it to someone who maybe shouldn't've passed the tests. They can have it back if they pass the current tests.

I would also reform the tests, rather than further restrict new drivers. If they put their car in the ditch without good reason, that should only mean they fluked the test and there shouldn't be many of those.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Back in the 80s a work colleague was banned in an amusing way. The idle bugger had run out of fags late at night and had driven to the all night garage just round the corner to buy some - only 5 minutes walk, he said. He was caught over the limit. The funny thing was he was in pyjamas and dressing gown at the time.
 

Alex321

Guru
Location
South Wales
For driving offences? A bit extreme, but I like where you're coming from.

So is a lifetime ban.
 
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Drago

Drago

Legendary Member
Perhaps you could explain why drivers should not be banned for life, while anyone else behaving dangerously or unkalfully in practically every other field of endeavour is?

What makes motorists a special case, particularly when getting a ban takes a good bit of effort in the first place? Come on, let's have some logic and reasoning.
 
I must admit I hadn't thought of this point:

Society says pilots, shotgun licence holders, commercial boat skippers, doctors, train drivers, teachers, pharmacists, even school admin staff are never allowed to fly/drive/do whatever it is they do ever again once that privilege is withdrawn.

No argument about hardship will protect them from losing the relevant licenece/right, so why are those that endanger others with kinetic weapons ever allowed back behind the wheel?

All I need to do to lose my work licence is break client confidentiality. If I'm proven to do this I not only lose my licence, I can be fined heavily and face jail time. As @Drago says, I can complain about financial hardship all I like, but it would be entirely my own fault.

On the other hand, unfortunately I suspect complete lifetime driving bans with no possibility of driving ever again, would probably end up working a bit like prohibition and you'd have a mass of unlicensed/uninsured drivers around, eating up police resources. Judging by the lack of care and concern for others displayed by many drivers, I doubt a ban would slow them down.

In that context I think @mjr's idea is a good compromise because it means the driver concerned has a choice; they can accept a life without a car, or they can start from scratch and learn to drive again, whereupon they will have a full licence once more. It will hurt financially and be inconvenient, as it should, but ultimately leaves a way open to being able to drive again.

Of course another question would be how we managed to build a transport system that means many people are practically forced to drive and maintain an expensive vehicle, merely to be part of society. This is another example of how reorganising the transport system to give more freedom of choice would actually make life better and safer for everyone.
 
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FishFright

More wheels than sense
…..you aim this to me: yet posted this yourself only yesterday 🙄



“…..had an MX5 up my arris on Wednesday. The mighty 2008 had more grunt than his scooot so every hill etc I'd squeeze it a bit and leave him behind but soon as I was back to a sensible pace he was up my tailpipe again.

So, seeing as he was hood-down I unleashed the screenwashers, and a few litres of Halfords finest soon had the eejut backing off to a more sensible distance.

So today's car DIY was topping up the screenwash.”

Have I wandered into Pistonheads by mistake ?
 
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Drago

Drago

Legendary Member
And my screenwash adventures were all done within the speed limit and, for my own part, keeping a safe reactionary gap to any cars in front. Unlike the chump behind.
 
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