Number of bans issued to drivers is on the increase
More being barred from behind the wheel
The number of Kent people banned from driving has risen sharply in two years.
In 2018, 3,351 motorists were barred from getting behind the wheel - but the figure now stands at more than 3,600. Despite thousands of orders in place across the county, Kent Police figures show officers are catching more people flouting driving bans than two years ago. In 2018 the force revealed it arrested 200 people for driving whilst disqualified, compared to 213 in 2019.
Sergeant Daryl McGrath of the Roads Policing Unit said: “There is no excuse for a disqualified driver to get behind the wheel and officers regularly take action against those who ignore a ban.
“Patrols are given daily briefings to highlight those thought to be driving whilst disqualified and the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system will also flag up vehicles that are associated with banned drivers. “People who drive whilst disqualified put law-abiding road users at risk. If they are involved in a collision they will not be insured and the very fact they are banned in the first place demonstrates a lack of good judgement when driving.
“We remain committed to making the county’s roads safer and will not hesitate in taking action against those who put other road users in danger.” Driving bans can be enforced after someone has committed an act of careless or dangerous driving - some of which may have harmed or even killed other road users.
They can also be ordered if someone has exceeded the points limit on their licence, for example, persistent speeding. Medway has been revealed as the area with the most bans, and also with the most arrests. This is most likely due to it being the largest authority area in the county.
There are calls for the government to spend more on policing our roads.
A spokesman from roads safety charity Brake said: “The rise in the total number of driving bans highlights that dangerous driving and repeat offending are increasingly prevalent on our roads. Driving bans play an important role in keeping everyone safe by removing these dangerous drivers from our roads. “We also need to see greater investment by Government in roads policing, so that the police have the resources they need to enforce driving bans effectively and deter dangerous driving.”