Dangerous Driving Insurance
Dangerous driving not only includes situations where the driver has taken a deliberate decision to drive in a particular way, but also covers situations where a driver has made a mistake or an error of judgement that was so substantial that it caused the driving to be dangerous, even if only for a short time.
The circumstances of every case will be unique and we will consider these in each case before reaching a decision as to the appropriate level of charge.
There are decided cases that provide some guidance as to the driving that courts will regard as dangerous and the following examples are typical of what we are likely to regard as dangerous driving:
racing or competitive driving;
speed, which is highly inappropriate for the prevailing road or traffic conditions;
aggressive driving, such as sudden lane changes, cutting into a line of vehicles, or driving much too close to the vehicle in front;
disregard of traffic lights and other road signs, which, on an objective analysis, would appear to be deliberate;
disregard of warnings from fellow passengers;
overtaking which could not have been carried out safely;
driving a vehicle with a load which presents a danger to other road users;
where the driver is suffering from impaired ability, such as having an arm or leg in plaster, or impaired eyesight;
driving when too tired to stay awake;
driving a vehicle knowing it has a dangerous defect;
using a hand-held mobile phone or other hand-held electronic equipment when the driver was avoidably and dangerously distracted by that use;
reading a newspaper/map;
talking to and looking at a passenger where the driver was avoidably and dangerously distracted by that;
selecting and lighting a cigarette, or similar, in circumstances where the driver was avoidably and dangerously distracted by that.
Aggravated vehicle taking
This offence was introduced in 1992 in response to public concern about what had become known as 'joyriding'. Before 1992, it was an offence under Section 12 of the Theft Act 1968 to take a vehicle without the consent of the owner, or anyone else able to give permission on behalf of the owner. The offence also covered those not actually responsible for taking the vehicle, but who drove the vehicle, or allowed themselves to be carried in it after it was taken, knowing that it had been taken without permission. It is still an offence.
However, the original offence did not take into account any bad driving of the vehicle after it had been unlawfully taken, or the consequences that could follow from the vehicle being driven. The aggravated offence was introduced to deal with this.
It can be found in Section 12A of the Theft Act 1968 and is committed if, after the vehicle is unlawfully taken but before it is recovered, any one or more of the following occurs:
the vehicle is driven dangerously on a road or other public place
owing to the driving of the vehicle, a collision occurs by which injury is caused to any person
owing to the driving of the vehicle, a collision occurs by which damage is caused to any property, other than the vehicle
damage is caused to the vehicle
The offence can be tried in the magistrates' court or in the Crown Court. At the Crown Court the maximum sentence is normally 2 years' imprisonment, except where any collision has caused the death of the victim, in which case the maximum sentence is 14 years' imprisonment.
Disqualification from driving for a minimum period of 12 months is obligatory.
Wanton and furious driving is an old offence - predating the invention of the internal combustion engine - contained in Section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
The prosecution must prove that the defendant drove dangerously (careless driving is insufficient) and caused some injury to another person.
The offence is not limited to a road or other public place and is therefore useful for prosecuting cases where the bad driving occurred off-road.
The offence can be tried either in the magistrates' court or in the Crown Court. At the Crown Court it carries a maximum sentence of 2 years' imprisonment.
Penalty points and discretionary disqualification are now available to courts
Most UK bans are for drunk driving offences, although many others are for totting up for either a number of speeding offences or combinations of offences such as speeding (typically SP30, SP50 codes), driving without insurance (typically IN10 conviction code), driving without a licence (often an LC10 code) or convictions for driving without due care and attention (most often a CD10 code).
You will need to declare each of the convictions that led to your totting up ban as well as fines, points and length of ban but then our partner will go to the market and see which insurance providers will be able to provide a quote for you. (Conviction codes are different in Northern Ireland).
Drink driving offences cause the most driving bans in the UK. The Legal Limit for drivers is 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, often referred to as blood-alcohol concentration. In terms of breathalyser tests the limit for alcohol is 35 µg (micro grammes) per 100 ml, the limit for urine tests is 107 mg per 100 ml. We at Convicted Driver Insurance are confident at getting you a very competitive quote.
Typically these limits are the equivalent of two pints of normal beer for a male of normal weight. However the science is inexact and the only way to be sure you are not breaking the law is not to drink before driving. It is even possible for courts to take into account drink levels below the legal limit when reviewing the cause of an accident. For any offence of driving or attempting to drive while over the prescribed alcohol limit, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of one year's disqualification and after that a DR10 insurance quote is likely to add to your annual bills.
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