Police need to tackle repeat offenders

THERE is a motoring underclass who habitually drive without a licence, insurance, tax or MoT and who may well have a string of other offences on their record.

Such drivers if caught – and it is most often young, male drivers – usually have the vehicle confiscated and crushed, while they also accumulate points that would be applied to a licence should they pass a driving test and obtain one.

Custodial sentences are rare but may be applied for repeat offenders.

It is almost impossible to stop those who are determined to offend in this way from getting behind the wheel of a car that may have been stolen or bought for cash, no questions asked.

And even if a custodial sentence is imposed, they are highly likely to reoffend.

Such people are of course, well aware that it would be impossible for them to drive legally, given their record and so become repeat offenders.

Such offenders are often unemployed or have limited means and in court they are means-tested.

As a result the penalties are often lamentably small and, in any case, may go unpaid.

The only way to crack down on such offenders is to place greater police emphasis on stopping them. The greater the likelihood of being caught the more likely it is that they will think twice.

The AA does think that such offenders should be a key policing issue, which means providing the resources to enable them to be identified and stopped before they cause serious damage, injury or death.

In addition, sentences should be much more severe and could include tagging, curfews and community orders as well as custodial sentencing for repeat offenders, which is perhaps an issue for the Government to tackle.

Most importantly, education should be part of the whole sentencing package to underline the severe risk that they expose not just to other road users but to themselves and their passengers as well.