Wilson announces crackdown on serious motoring offences

19 Dec 2000

Scotland Office Minister Brian Wilson today made clear that the Government’s proposals to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads through tougher penalties for serious motoring offences and measures to improve driving standards will apply equally in Scotland.

The Review of Road Traffic Penalties issued today consults on a raft of measures to improve road safety by tackling serious offending and raising driving standards.

Motorists who kill and repeat serious offenders will face tougher penalties. There will also be a crackdown on drink driving, including a new, tougher penalty for very drunk drivers. A range of new penalties will include disqualification and vehicle forfeiture for short periods and community sentences. The penalty point system will be overhauled to focus drivers’ minds on the threat of disqualification, including new ‘long life’ points for serious offences and a two-tier fixed penalty system for speeding offences.

Speaking today, Mr Wilson said:

"Deaths and serious injuries on Scotland’s roads have fallen dramatically over the past 10 years, thanks not only to better vehicle and road design but also to government road safety campaigns and an increasing awareness by drivers of the consequences of irresponsible and dangerous driving. For a small minority of drivers, however, this message is still not getting through, and it is with these people in mind that we are working to reinforce awareness campaigns with a modern and effective range of penalties for road traffic offences."

"Today’s review sets out measures to help prevent and deter dangerous drivers from causing unnecessary deaths and suffering on our roads in future. Ordinary motorists have nothing to fear from this review and I would urge road users to contribute their views on the proposals."

Notes to editors:

1. The consultation paper is published on the Home Office web site (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). Media copies are available from the Home Office press office on 020 7273 4545. Non media copies are available from Jisha Salim, Sentencing and Offences Unit, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne’s Gate, London, SW1H 9AT. Fax 020 7273 4345. E-mail: jisha.salim@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

2. The Government announced the review of penalties in February this year as part of its Road Safety Review. The proposals in the consultation paper would apply to England, Wales and Scotland.

3. Proposals in the review include:

  • Longer periods of imprisonment and longer periods of compulsory disqualification for serious offences, such as causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, and dangerous driving.
  • More innovative and flexible penalties, including greater use of short term disqualifications, community sentences and temporary vehicle forfeiture or immobilisation.
  • Making drivers more conscious of the threat of disqualification, including reviewing the penalty points system, and introducing ‘long life’ points and a new ‘two-level’ fixed penalty system for speeding offences with more points for more serious offences.
  • Measures to improve driving standards, including compulsory retesting after a substantial period of disqualification.

4. Responses are invited by 9 March 2001.

5. There were 310 deaths (down 20% on 1998) and 3,734 serious injuries (down 8% on 1998) on Scotland’s roads in 1999.

6. In 1999 there were over 350,000 motor vehicle offences recorded by the police in Scotland, including:

  • 13,964 offences of dangerous and careless driving (down 11% on 1998)
  • 10,821 offences of drunk driving (up 2% on 1998)
  • 125,336 speeding offences (up 9% on 1998); and
  • 77,846 offences of unlawful use of a vehicle (up 3% on 1998).