Driving while disqualified – do you know everything about your drivers?
by Fiona Taylor
Do you always know everything about the drivers that you take on?
According to new research carried out by Churchill Car Insurance, a total of 150,115 motorists across England and Wales were caught driving while disqualified between 2005 and 2015.
Of that number 6592 motorists were prosecuted for driving while disqualified in 2015. Which equates to around 18 motorists every day.
Of these, 87 successful prosecutions were for those aged 17 and under, while a further 386 motorists were aged 18-20.
In 2015, the average fine issued by the courts for driving whilst already disqualified was £247. With 44% of drivers receiving a fine of £150 or less.
Only 27% of motorists caught driving whilst disqualified were given an immediate custodial sentence.
So, what happens if one of your drivers gets caught driving while disqualified?
Driving while disqualified is an arrestable offence. Therefore it won’t be a case of a stern ticking off at the side of the road. Offenders will be arrested immediately and then processed via the Police system. This can be an alarming experience for those unfamiliar with the process of being taken back to the Police station in handcuffs, finger printed, DNA tested, searched, photographed and then held in a cell prior to a taped interview being undertaken.
If you are fortunate, you will then be bailed to attend Court. If however the custody sergeant decides that there is a risk of you committing any further offence, he can refuse bail. In this instance you can be held at the Police station until the prison van arrives to take you to Court along with other prisoners who have committed “real” crimes.
Do you ask for the driving license of your employees? If you have the vehicle tracking system from Satmo you will be able to store copies of the driving licenses of all of your drivers so you can be sure that they are still legally able to drive.
If you want to know more about the Satmo vehicle tracking system and how it can help you and your business then just give us a call on 01274 587748 and one of the team will be happy to help.
Fiona Taylor
Fiona Taylor is the Sales Manager at award winning Satmo Vehicle Tracking. If you feel you need help with your fleet, want to gain back control, save some money and time then please get in touch.
