Clause 21 - Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers
Road Safety Bill [Lords]
4:30 pm
Greg Knight (East Yorkshire, Conservative)
I am grateful, Sir Nicholas, and I notice that Labour Members, who have obviously had a big lunch, have now swelled the ranks on the Government side of the Committee.
Driving without insurance is a serious matter, and, personally, I resent having to pay £30 or £40 a year extra on my insurance premium to cover the cost of yobs and ne’er-do-wells who drive around without insurance. I believe that if someone is convicted of driving a car without insurance, the police ought to have the right to seize the vehicle and to maintain custody of it until the fine is paid, and if someone is guilty of a second or subsequent offence, I would allow the law to see the vehicle forfeited.
The point of questioning the Minister on the clause is that one can treat driving without insurance as a serious matter, and causing death by dangerous driving is already a serious matter in our law. Why does the Minister believe that he needs this extra power? Some people might say that it is superfluous. Why is the offence necessary if the offence of driving without insurance attracts a harsh punishment? Would not that be a better way of proceeding? Why has the Minister made no provision to ensure that those who can show good mitigating circumstances are not provided with some form of statutory defence to being charged in addition to any other charges under the clause?