Sorry if it's a re-post:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25626147

 

That hardship stuff counts for nothing on my bench, the usual reply is "That's nothing compared to the hardship of losing a loved one because of your stupidity". Anyone with twelve points has committed up to four minor offenses or two major ones either way the offender hasn't learnt their lesson and deserves a ban whatever their personal circumstances.
My opinion of anyone driving whilst disqualified or without insurance is that they will not be stopped by being "told" they aren't allowed to drive, the only way to stop them is with a custodial sentence or tagging with imprisonment if the tagging order is breached.

but I don't make the law.

 

How can you prosecute someone for not knowing if they were driving or not? Any other crime you have to prove someone did it. A photo of a car speeding is like a photo of a body with a gunshot to the head. A crime has been committed but who has committed it? Using that analogy would the registry details of a firearm be solely enough to convict someone of the murder? I think not.

Because of this the points system is a tax plain and simple.

And the age old 'safety' thing is rubbish.

This video proves it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTC7UNGbKCk

By 40 seconds in the Copper has MORE than enough evidence to pull the Skyline. Does he? Nope, he waits and follows allowing the Skyline to carry on reaching speeds of 147mph. So clearly he wasn't acting in the interests of the public.

 

When the fine for driving without insurance is much less than the cost of insurance, you can certainly understand why somebody would be tempted.

I got out of what should have been a short ban for doing 90 in 60; all I said was "I don't know how I'm going to get to work", and that was enough for the magistrates not to ban me.

 

In their defence they were in a fair amount of traffic. They don't know how the driver will respond. If he decides to flee then let's face it they can't keep up and his driving could have become even more erratic trying to filter traffic at those speeds.

 

I think the copper wanted an excuse to find out how fast his bike would go

 

A bit like when the unmarked cars try to goad you into speeding by hanging all around your arse like a wasp around sugar.

 

But this is persistant and deliberate so could be be considered obstruction or perverting the course of justice. I would say after three instances it would be resonable to prociute the keeper/owner of the vehicle.
Also if you claim you don't know who is driving the car whoever is will be doing so without permission ego they will be uninsured, there is a handy category for that "permiting to drive without insurence" that the owner would be guilty of.

 

Your point makes logical sense, but what if it was murder? You'd have 15 bodies all killed with the same weapon and the person to whom the weapon is registered still has the weapon in their possession, but can't tell you who was using it or, presumably, provide an alibi for the time of any of the murders.

I know that lack of an alibi isn't hard evidence, but it would give rise to some lively debate in the interview room.

In the case of driving offences, the suspected offender could and should be obliged to start keeping record of who's driving their vehicle after at least the second instance of using the 'I don't know who was driving' get out, or face being held responsible for the actions of those apparently negligent 'other' people they have enabled to be on the road.

Let's face it, the law may be flawed, but this story is about people taking the pi55 and the judiciary allowing them to use a loophole that, I suspect, they have the power to close.

 

I fell fowl of this about 4 years ago. Went to court and was given 5 (1point from a ban) points and a hefty fine.

No excuse for my behavior, I was young, inexperienced and should have known better. Going to court twice (first time there was no prosecution or something??) is not a nice experience and the shear amount of anxiety and stress I was under over the year period from being caught to summoned and going was enough to make me exceptional ill. Being like that at the age of 18 when I should have been out enjoying my life and worry free is not fun.

I barely ever exceed the speed limit in my S as I am now paranoid about police cars and other motorists filming me.

We live, we learn. Keep speed to the track, not on the public road.

Mike