Death crash driver who drove at 95mph in 30mph zone jailed for 12 years

Matthew Scrimshaw killed a woman while speeding at up to 95mph in a 30mph zone has been jailed for 12 years.

The 37 year old was driving on the wrong side of the road when he hit Iris Higginson, 67, in December 2014. Scrimshaw was also 1.75 times over the blood alcohol limit.

The judge said it was the longest sentence he had passed for death by dangerous driving in a 30-year career

Nottinghamshire Police

Ahead of the crash Scrimshaw's Audi TT was captured on CCTV on Mansfield Road, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, at speeds of 88mph and 95mph, the trial heard.

Mrs Higginson who "had been doing absolutely nothing wrong" died at the scene when her Vauxhall Corsa was hit almost head on.

Scrimshaw made no attempt to comfort her, help her or call the police and left the scene to hide the fact he had been drinking, the prosecution said.

Judge Michael Stokes, who also banned Scrimshaw from driving for 15 years, said: "I have had to deal with some appalling cases involving extremely dangerous driving, but I cannot recall a case of a defendant who has demonstrated such an overriding contempt for the law and for the feelings of other people."

Scrimshaw was also found guilty of causing serious injuries by dangerous driving in relation to a friend who was a passenger in his car. He suffered a broken jaw and foot.


Speaking outside court, Ms Higginson's daughter-in-law Pauline Hotchkiss described her as "a wonderful lady".

She said the family had received justice "but we will not get over" the death of the great-grandmother.

A decision was taken not to proceed on charges of failing to stop at an accident, driving with excess alcohol and failing to report an accident.

Det Sgt James Greely, of Nottinghamshire Police, said it was some of "the worst driving I have ever investigated".

Speeding driver who blamed dead man jailed

A driver who blamed a dead man for his speeding offence has been jailed.

After Andrew Evans's car was caught by a speed camera travelling at 51mph in a 30mph zone in Plymouth in April, he claimed his neighbour Ben Hughes had been driving at the time.

It was only when police looked up Mr Hughes to pass on the prosecution they found he had died a few months before.

Evans, 48, of Ludlow, Shropshire, admitted perverting the course of justice and was jailed for six years...

source: BBC Devon

Can you drive your car after an MOT fail if the old test hasn’t expired?

Can you drive your car after an MOT fail if the old test hasn’t expired?

There is a lot of speculation around this topic online, some sites claim that drivers are within their rights to continue using a car with an in-date MOT certificate, even a tester has since deemed it unroadworthy.

The government has updated its guidelines warning motorists that they face prosecution if they drive their car following an MOT failure – even if its previous test hasn’t expired.

“You must not drive the vehicle on the road if it fails the test, even if the MOT hasn’t run out.”
It adds that the only exceptions are to drive to have the defects fixed, or to a pre-booked MOT appointment.

If you’re caught driving a car in a dangerous condition, you could face a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and three penalty points.

Source: http://www.motoringresearch.com

Unique Pothole Protest - Cock Drawing!

Bright white penises have been spray painted around more than a dozen potholes on Cock Lane. (yes that is the roads real name!).

Residents have been complaining about subsidence and the crumbling road surface for two years but the council has carried out no repairs.

Now motorists hope the images - which are different sizes and point in different directions - will spur authorities into action.

Polly Birkbeck, 49, spotted the obscene graffiti, in Fetcham, Surrey, while taking her daughter to school yesterday.

She said: "I drive down there every day on the school run and said to my daughter, 'hang on a minute, someone's drawn willies on the road'.

"There are about 15 of them, I stopped the car and counted.
"They're on all the bad bits of the road, it's a sort of protest by someone with a smutty sense of humour.

"That stretch of road is really annoying, it's terribly uneven, I guess the council will just scrub them off but I'm surprised they haven't fixed this bit of road because it's been like that for years.

"It's possibly a way to highlight the issue and galvanise someone into action.

"It did make me smile - it's quite surprising to see because you don't get much graffiti around here.

"I have absolutely no idea who did it, but it must have taken a while." Cllr Raj Haque said Surrey County Council had promised fix the road this month but it has now been put back to next year.

He said the delay was "a shock to many residents who were given reassurances that the work would be under way in September".

Ian Routledge, who lives on a road joining Cock Lane, said: “This has been an issue for at least two years.

"No-one from the council will have a sensible conversation with you about what needs to be done.
“We just get fobbed off all the time.”

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk

Six Worst Traffic Jams Known To Mankind

We came across this article by shmee150 via thesupercarkids.com

I know we all like to think that we have sat in the worst traffic jam EVER! but get a load of these and start considering yourself lucky!

Lyon-Paris, France - February 1980

Bad weather, as well as masses of winter travelers returning to Paris created a traffic jam that became 109 miles long. Imagine that.

 

Bethel, New York - August 1969

This jam lasted three days, and was caused by over 500,000 people going to Max Yasgur’s famous farm for the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. The traffic stretched back for over 20 miles and performers had to be flown via helicopter.

 

Sao Paulo, Brazil - June 2009

On June 10 2009 It was reported that there were more than 182 miles of traffic jams over 522 miles of road.

 

Kyoto, Japan - August 1990

In Japan, on August 12, 1990 more than 15,000 cars crawled along for greater than 84 miles on a highway between Hyogo and Shiga prefectures, caused by a mix of holiday revelers heading home and residents evacuating the city due to a typhoon warning

East/West Germany - April 1990

After the Berlin Wall, dividing the East and West of Germany had fallen, the holidays at Easter saw a large number of Germans desperate to reconnect with friends and family members located in the former East or West sides. April 12, 1990 saw a ridiculous 18 million cars on a roadway that usually averages half a million vehicles in a day.

Interstate 45, Texas - September 2005

The traffic jam that Interstate 45 saw was 100 miles long and congestion reportedly lasted 48 hours. It was caused by Houston residents evacuating due to Hurricane Rita approaching. The large number of people, thought to be 2.5 million meant that many motorists were left stranded for as long as 24 hours on the 300-mile route from Galveston to Dallas. The mass evacuation as clogged up as it was, is said to have probably saved the lives of many. 

Speed cameras being covered with bin liners in protest

France’s tobacconists are covering speed cameras with black bin liners in protest at plans to enforce the sale of cigarettes in plain packets. They say the "cover up" action is a symbolic move to reduce the government's revenue, similar to what they say will happen to their tobacco revenue.

The 2014  European Union law ordered that health warnings cover 65% of the front and back of cigarette packs with 50% of the sides - though member states are allowed to force completely plain packaging when "justified on grounds of public health".

Following the first action over a month ago, 20 of 97 districts have now been targeted.

So far three people have been arrested, but all were released without charge.

 

A car is as deadly as a loaded gun, especially at 96 miles per hour

The teenager was recorded on the 13th of this month by the PSNI’s Road Policing Unit who later tweeted an image of the speed gun reading, adding: “This speed was recorded on the M2 today by road policing officers. Driver was just 15 years of age.”

This speed was recorded on the M2 today by Road Policing officers. Driver was just 15 yrs of age.#KeepingPeopleSafe pic.twitter.com/jT6mX00NmK

— PSNI Road Policing (@PSNITraffic) May 13, 2015

MLA Trevor Clarke, whose constituency takes in a large part of the M2, said: “There are very serious questions to be asked about how someone of this age came into possession of a car.”

"A car is as deadly as a loaded gun, especially at 96 miles per hour. I want to commend the PSNI for stopping this young man before he injured himself or anyone else."

"Doing that kind of speed on a motorway is an accident waiting to happen. The last thing any of us want to see is another fatality."

It is illegal for a 15-year-old to drive, even as a learner. Normally, the earliest date a provisional licence can become valid is when the holder turns 17. But learner drivers are not permitted on motorways.

Stop a Douchebag

We have come across something quite interesting through "anonymous" about an issue in Russia where people are driving on pavements to avoid traffic.  A small group of people have come up with a great way to combat this problem 

On sidewalks and footpaths, the brave young protagonists stand in the way of bad drivers, politely ask them to head back to the road and if they refuse, plaster a hard-to-peel-off sticker (which proclaims in Russian: I Spit on Everybody, I Drive/Park However I Want) on the windshield, right in front of the driver’s seat.

"Stop a Douchebag" - is a Russian youth movement that attempts to enforce the road traffic regulations in Russia.

To read in more detail please visit the anonymous site

The Movement's channel on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/stopxamlive

 

Employer Fires California Woman For Deleting App That Tracked Her 24×7

Myrna Arias, has filed a lawsuit against Intermex her former employer (a money transfer service), for invasion of privacy, retaliation, and unfair business practices and is seeking damages in excess of $500,000. She claims she was fired for uninstalling an app from her iPhone, that let her boss, John Stubits, track her movements 24 hours a day.

The app Xora, allows an employer to monitor workers locations on a Google Map. They can also see where they have been, the route they have driven and where they are now.

Image Source Anonymous

The lawsuit alleges: “After researching the app and speaking with a trainer from Xora, Plaintiff and her co-workers asked whether Intermex would be monitoring their movements while off-duty. [Arias boss, John] Stubits admitted that employees would be monitored while off duty, and bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments ever since she had installed the app on her phone.

“Plaintiff expressed that she had no problem with the app’s GPS function during work hours, but she objected to the monitoring of her location during non-work hours and complained to Stubits that this was an invasion of her privacy. She likened the app to a prisoner’s ankle bracelet and informed Stubits that his actions were illegal. Stubits replied that she should tolerate the illegal intrusion.
“He confirmed that she was required to keep her phone’s power on ‘24/7’ to answer phone calls from clients. Stubits scolded Plaintiff when she de-installed the app in late April 2014 in order to protect her privacy.”
 
“The app had a ‘clock in/out’ feature which did not stop GPS monitoring, that function remained on. This is the problem about which Ms. Arias complained. Management never made mention of mileage. They would tell her co-workers and her of their driving speed, roads taken, and time spent at customer locations. Her manager made it clear that he was using the program to continuously monitor her, during company as well as personal time,” Arias’ attorney, Gail Glick said.

Source Anonymous

Traffic Lights Featuring Same-Sex Couples in Vienna

Select traffic lights in Vienna will feature same-sex couples as part of this year's Eurovision Song Contest

A spokeswoman for Vienna's city lighting department told Reuters, "the campaign is intended to present Vienna as an open-minded city and also to improve traffic safety as the unusual symbols attract the attention of drivers and pedestrians."
.

Speeding driver David Pickup ordered to pay £11,000

David Pickup was caught speeding and has to pay £11,000 for challenging his ticket after a prosecution expert hired an airfield and a sports car to prove him wrong.

David Pickup, 45, was clocked doing 101mph in his Audi R8 on the A55 at Lloc in Flintshire in April 2014.

Flintshire Magistrates' Court heard a police speed camera caught him and he asked officers: "Can we call it 98?".

Mr Pickup who is from Wilmslow in Cheshire, who has a holiday home in Abersoch, Gwynedd, was convicted of speeding.

He denied breaking the 70mph speed limit and said that a number of people from Cheshire had second homes in Abersoch, which he called a millionaire's paradise.

The defence questioned the accuracy of the in-car police speed camera so the prosecution hired an expert who rented an airfield and an Audi R8 to carry out tests, the results of which were presented to the court.

Pickup was fined £675, given six points on his licence and ordered to pay the full prosecution costs - which included the testing - of £10,384.

Gadget that continually measuring your levels of awareness while driving

So we've come across this gem of a gadget called "StopSleep" it helps maintain awareness by alerting to the first signs of a drop in concentration brought on by the on-set of driver fatigue

It does this by continually measuring your levels of awareness and concentration via electrodermal activity. Your electrodermal activity, represents your brain activity, and by measuring this activity, StopSleep can accurately gauge your levels of awareness and concentration. As soon as your levels of concentration start to drop, StopSleep will alert you immediately via it's 2 stage alarm system.

Anyway you can read more about it on the site, we were thinking what a great thing especially for those that do shift work and drive long distances, jobs such as mobile sales persons, truck drivers, pilots, air hostesses might find it a useful or even as a "care of duty" product that fleet managers might be interested in

Drive Safely

£800 gadget that lets speeders spot police cars half a mile away: Device blasted by police as a 'passport to villainy'

A gadget that alerts speeding drivers when emergency vehicles has faced calls by police and motoring organisations to be banned.

The £799.99 Target Blu Eye is a dashboard-mounted device which, astonishingly, is perfectly legal, according to its makers.

It can detect when police cars – even unmarked vehicles – are more than half a mile away by picking up encoded radio signals, and then sends a warning to the motorist.

When a 999 vehicle is within 1,200 yards, it sets off a green light on the display. As it gets nearer, the lights go to amber and finally they go red when it is just yards away. The device can even detect the radio signals from police officers on the beat and force helicopters.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

British sports cars booked by French helicopter for racing

off-duty officer who was overtaken by 5 sports cars racing down autoroute phoned on-duty officers and the Gendarmes swooped.

French gendarmes sent a helicopter chasing after five British-registered sports cars - including a Lamborghini and two Porsches - after an-off duty officer in a private car spotted them speeding down the A63 motorway near Biarritz in the southwest 

The British vehicles overtook him at speeds far above the French maximum limit of 130 kph (80 mph). The Britons were traveling on Friday afternoon in the direction of Hendaye, on the border with Spain. The convoy slowed to permitted speeds once the drivers spotted the chopper following them. 

The cars were tracked down to a toll booth where several police cars hauled them over and imposed fines for speeding. Police said they did not know exactly how fast they were going because the helicopter that had followed them was not equipped with speed radar.

Teenager becomes first to pass UK driving test using a sat nav

Credit: SWNS

Grant Ferguson, 17, has become the first person in the UK to pass his driving test – using a sat nav.

His local driving test centre was chosen as one of 20 in the UK to trial the revised practical exam with the help of a GPS navigation system.

The examiner set up a route on the device for the first twenty minutes of the test and Grant followed the sat nav verbal instructions - with the instructor still in the vehicle.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) expects 1000 learner drivers will take part in the revised tests which are set to continue until the end of the year. If successful, it could be the biggest shake up of the test in almost 20 years! the last big change was when the written theory exam was introduced in 1996.

Grant Said:

"I had been learning to drive for about a month when the opportunity came up to try out the new test. I felt like I was part of an important change. I'll definitely be buying a sat nav because that's what I know and it gives you a bit of freedom to go where you want.
I was a bit relieved that I didn't have to do the reverse around the corner in the test."

 

The changes could see the three-point turn and reversing round a corner scrapped. These will be replaced with more commonplace manoeuvres such as reversing out of a parking bay.

The DVSA say that candidates will also be asked safety questions while on the move, instead of at the start, and asked to operate switches such as screen heaters.

Motoring groups have urged caution in removing manoeuvres like a three-point turn,saying it can be essential if sat navs lead drivers down a dead end road.

What do you think? would this be a good permanent change, should tests just be made longer to include more rather than scrapping other useful things? alternatively should the range of things you could be asked to do increase to at least ensure the manouvres are learnt?

Have your say below

Irony of the lib dem candidate caught speeding by camera he secured funding

A Lib Dem parliamentary candidate was caught speeding by a camera he admits he "secured the funding for".

Stephen Gilbert's solicitor pleaded guilty on his behalf to speeding in his Kia car at 40mph in a 30mph zone on the A390 at St Blazey, last August.

Mr Gilbert, 38, of Beach Road, Newquay, was fined £430, ordered to pay costs of £85 and given three penalty points.

A charge of failing to give information relating to the driver's identity was withdrawn at Bodmin Magistrates' Court.

Mr Gilbert is defending the St Austell and Newquay seat in Cornwall.

The politician tweeted that the speeding conviction was "ironic" as he had "secured the funding for the camera 15 years ago".

.@tamsinmelville ... and isn't it ironic since I secured the funding for the camera 15 years ago! @BBCCornwall

— Stephen Gilbert (@stephen_gilbert) April 22, 2015

EU to introduce eCall alert device for car crashes

The European Parliament has voted for an EU-wide emergency alert system dubbed eCall to help ambulance crews get to road accidents faster, potentially saving lives and reducing the severity of injuries.

In the event of an accident (where the airbag sensors are set off) the eCall device will alert rescue services automatically, using the existing 112 emergency number. It is thought that response times could be halved, especially in rural areas.

The information that will be provided to the emergency crews will be:

• type of vehicle
• fuel used
• time of accident
• location

From 31 March 2018 new cars and light vans will have the system as standard. The technology was first proposed in 2012, but legislation was delayed amid privacy concerns.

You can already have this technology in your car by purchasing a Road Angel Gem  which has it as an inbuilt feature (eAssist)

The European Commission says installation of the device is likely to add about €100 (£72; $109) to the cost of a new car.

A standard accident alert system is needed in Europe, because "when you cross a border you have a language problem and often do not even really know where you are", said Czech Social Democrat MEP Olga Sehnalova, the parliament's lead negotiator on the issue.

But Jan Philipp Albrecht from the Greens said the technology should not be mandatory.

"The consequence of being connected all the time means that we are also subject to more possibilities to track us," he told the BBC.

"We reduced the data being processed to a very minimum, but nonetheless it is technically possible for companies, or for an authority, to track your position and to even surveil you. So I don't think this should be obliged to everybody. Everybody should have the chance to opt out."

The UK government objects to the plans. UK Transport Minister Claire Perry said "the benefit of making eCall mandatory in all new cars does not justify the cost of implementing it.

"We do not support the measure, because it is not cost-effective for us."

Britons heading to Europe face nightmare of being unable to pick up hire car upon arrival

Britons heading to Europe on holiday are facing the nightmare of arriving at their destination and not being able to hire a car, thanks to a controversial driving licence shake-up.

On June 8 The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is scrapping the paper counterpart that accompanies all UK plastic photocard licences. 

The counterpart shows all the Information about penalty points for traffic violations such as speeding.

From June 8, holidaymakers heading abroad will have to log on to the DVLA website the day before and put in their driving licence number to obtain a special code to give to their car hire company when they arrive at the desk.

But fears are growing that the new rules will mean people could be turned away because many car hire firms abroad will still insist on examining the paper document to check for endorsements or bans.

Also anyone hiring a car in the second week of their trip faces having to find an internet cafe or pay expensive roaming charges as the passcode to access the infprmation is valid for only 72 hours

Mark Bower, of the car hire insurance website MoneyMaxim, said holidaymakers could endure major problems at car hire desks across Europe. He added: ‘Most people are simply unaware that these changes are on the way – and it is not just renters.

‘I spoke to one big car hire firm in Portugal this week and they knew nothing of the changes. Six weeks away from implementation, the whole thing is very muddled.

‘It is another thing you have to remember to do just before departure. Or you can do it at the desk with your smartphone if you can remember the website address, don’t mind the data roaming charges, can remember your national insurance number and are impervious to the long queue developing behind you.’

Mr Bower also said unscrupulous firms might use the issue as ‘another excuse’ to persuade people to pay for extra insurance.

Motorists will also be able to download their driving history as a printable PDF file, although it is unclear whether all car hire firms will accept that, or how drivers without access to a computer will cope.

The DVLA insists the changes have been widely publicised. But consumers booking car hire for holidays after June have not been warned the new rules are being introduced. The terms and conditions of most car hire firms still explicitly state that paper counterparts must be produced.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, which represents the industry, says UK hirers unaware of the rule change will be treated in the same way as those who currently turn up without both parts of the licence.

The DVLA said the system, called Share Driving Licence, would be ready in time for June 8. A spokesman said: ‘There is up-to-date information on the website and we are working closely with the industry to ensure that their systems and processes are ready for the changes.’

The two-part licence was introduced in 1998 but many drivers found it inconvenient. From June 8, paper counterparts will be invalid and should be destroyed. Motorists with old-style paper driving licences from before 1998 can continue to use them.

Read More

Driver caught speeding at 136mph on the A5 in Conwy

Four people were caught driving at speeds of over 120mph on roads in Wales last year - with one topping 136mph, the Institute of Advanced Motorists has revealed.

Three of the worst speeders were caught on the A5 in north Wales, while the other was on the M4 in south Wales.

It said the 136mph driver broke the 60mph limit in Conwy by 76mph and was one of the worst cases in Britain.

The figures for 2014 were released following a freedom of information request from IAM to the welsh forces. The figures showed Wales' worst speeder was recorded by North Wales Police at 136mph on the A5 Ty Nant to Dinmael road in Conwy.

The A5 also saw two further instances of over 120mph speeding recorded; 122mph on the Ty Nant-Cerrigydrudion stretch in Conwy; and 121mph at Halton, Wrexham.

The final case of 120mph being exceeded was captured by South Wales Police: 125mph on the M4 between Junction 35 Pencoed and Junction 34 Miskin, where a 70mph limit is in force.

The charity is campaigning for an increase in visible policing to deter excessive speeders.

Best car protest ever?!

Ravi Beefnah has plastered his £35,000 Audi A5 with slogans and parked it outside the dealership he bought it from because it uses a litre of oil every time he fills it up.

The Audi A5 is covered in red lettering and has been parked outside the entrance of the dealership in Chelmsford, Essex since February as a warning to other buyers.

Now months later and Mr Beefnah's protest is still there, with the owner claiming that Audi have failed to resolve his long-running complaint about the engine and fix the car.

"You just don't expect problems when buying a brand new car from what is supposed to be a reputable company. I decided that the car's not fit for purpose and I'm not going to be able to drive it so I might as well get some use out of it.

Audi admits there was a problem with some of the engines and has offered to fix cars with the issue free of charge, including Mr Beefnah's.

Before professionally printing the signs onto the Audi, the motorist had the claims reviewed by a solicitor before checking the legality of long-term parking outside the dealership with police.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Election: Lib dems would raise on average by £25 a year

If the Liberal Democrats gain power Car tax will increase on average by £25 a year by 2017/18, with drivers of gas guzzlers facing even higher bills!

Figures released by the party in a pre-manifesto briefing show an extra £485 million will be raised by the rebanding in 2016/17 and £850
million in 2017/18.

At a central London press conference, Mr Clegg rejected the assertion that the tax hike amounted to a new "war on motorists", insisting the measure was to maintain the "status quo" on the revenue raised.

He said: "It's a revenue retention measure - we simply want to maintain the same amount of money from the overall vehicle duty system as we set out in 2010.

"This is just to make sure as the system shifts around because people are buying lower emission vehicles, we still generate the same revenue."

Under current VED rates, petrol and diesel cars which emit less than 100g of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre pay no tax, while the dirtiest vehicles with emissions of more than 255g per kilometre pay £505.

An aide to the Lib Dem leader said: "In 2010 we put out a projection of how much we thought we would get from VED.

"The take-up of fuel-efficient cars has been faster than the Government expected, which means that the overall revenue has fallen, so that is restoring it.

"What we have said we will do, this is exactly as has been done before, is we will work with the automotive industry to work out the next setting and banding, continuing to incentivise lower carbon-emitting cars."

The source said: "Higher emitting cars will pay a little bit more to make sure we get the revenue we want."

The exact impact on individual models will be the subject of a consultation with the motor industry.

But the source said: "There are around 32 million cars on UK roads. Under the revenue raised by 2017/18 that will be an average of an increase by £25 a year.

"But of course that would depend on your carbon emissions."

Source : home.bt.com

Delays after dog crashes tractor on motorway

Image credit thewebawards.com/dogs-driving

A dog caused long tailbacks after it took "control of a tractor" and crashed it through a fence onto a busy motorway.

The bizarre incident was reported by Traffic Scotland at junction 13 of the M74 near Abington in South Lanarkshire.

#The dog had apparently leaned on the controls of the tractor, taking it from a field on to the road before crashing into the central reservation having gone through a fence at around 8.15am.
The dog was uninjured in the incident.

#M74 (N) J13-RTC due to dog taking control of tractor... nope, not joking. Farmer&police at scene,vehicle in central res. #maycausetailbacks
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) April 22, 2015

#M74 (N) at J13 - Route is CLEAR from earlier incident & dog is fine. Has to be the weirdest thing we have ever reported! No delays in area
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) April 22, 2015

The incident led to plenty of dog puns as people responded to Traffic Scotland's tweets.
Tony T wrote: "Police investigating, so far no leads," while Beverley Friend added: "This is barking."
Michelle Muirhead asked: "Will the dog have points on his licence? Was he breathalysed? Did police arrest him?"

Tougher sentences for disqualified drivers

Brake has congratulated the Government on delivering tougher sentences for disqualified drivers as part of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act, which came into force on Monday, April 13).

Under the new rules anyone convicted of causing death by driving while disqualified will face a maximum of 10 years in prison, up from only two years previously.

There is also a new offence that has been created "causing serious injury by driving while disqualified" anyone convicted of this offence will face up to four years in prison.

Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “This is an important day for everybody involved in campaigning for better justice for victims of criminal driving.

“Getting behind the wheel when a court has already found you to be a danger on the road, and has disqualified you from doing so, is one of the most selfish decision you can make as a driver.

“It is entirely right that maximum sentences are being increased, and we hope that judges will make use of them where appropriate.

“This is a good first step to securing better justice for victims and families, many of whom have been left feeling betrayed by inappropriate charges and paltry sentences.”

The road safety charity says that there are a number of other urgent issues with how the justice system handles cases of criminal driving, and it will be pressuring whoever forms the next Government to follow the current Ministry of Justice review through to a satisfactory conclusion.

Source Fleet News

DVLA car clampings and £800 fines soar because motorists don't know about rule changes

Thousands of motorists have been fined or had their cars towed away after falling foul of new rules following the switch to digital tax discs.

Many are buying used cars unaware that the old paper documents are now automatically cancelled when a vehicle changes hands.

Ignorant that they must fork out for a new digital one – even if the existing paper disc is months from expiry – rising numbers of drivers are falling prey to clampers.

Critics allege that the DVLA has been operating a 'money-making scam' after figures yesterday showed clamping soared after the paperless system was introduced in October last year.

Many say the authority was too quick to penalise motorists without first warning that their car was not taxed. Drivers have faced bills of up to £800 to get their impounded vehicles back.

The DVLA was accused of 'heavy-handed and Draconian' behaviour yesterday after figures showed its use of clamping rocketed by 60 per cent from about 5,000 vehicles a month before the changes to 8,630 last month.

With no right to appeal against the fines to an independent body, drivers have little choice but to pay up. 

The DVLA is estimated to be making millions of pounds a year because it receives double road tax payment – from both the seller and the buyer.

A DVLA spokesman said: 'The changes have been widely publicised and we write to every vehicle keeper to remind them of the new rules before the vehicle tax expires.

'We also write to every new vehicle keeper when they buy a used vehicle to inform them that they must tax the vehicle before they use it. 

'In addition, if a driver does not tax their car we will send a warning letter to remind them to tax as they are at risk of enforcement action.'