Young disqualified drivers are cause for corporate concern

19th November 2007

Jim Kirkwood, Managing Director of DriveTech (UK) comments on recent Driving Standards Agency statistics on disqualified young drivers and why they are important to corporate organisations.

"The imminent, and long awaited, arrival of the corporate manslaughter and homicide act in April 2008 is continuing to make its presence felt within the fleet risk management arena. In addition to highlighting the employer's need to have a robust 'duty of care' policy for employees who 'drive for work', it underlines the benefits of implementing driving licence verification via the DVLA to ensure that employers feel satisfied that their employees are both driving legally and not invalidating their insurance policy.

However, one particular area for concern for fleet operators should be younger drivers. Since 1 June 1997 when the New Drivers Act was introduced, drivers will have their licence revoked if they get six penalty points on their licence within two years of passing their first driving test. Drivers will need to pass both the theory and practical test again to get back their full licence. See page 134 of the Highway Code 2007.

However, recent figures published in October 2007 by the Driving Standards Agency show that, over a three month period between June and August 2007, the number of drivers who re-passed their test was only 51% of the total number of drivers whose licences were revoked. Assuming that many of these 'disqualified' drivers continue to drive, it is likely that employers across the country have young drivers who are driving illegally. Licence verification via the DVLA, a service that DriveTech (UK) offers, can tackle this issue and minimise an employer's exposure to 'aiding and abetting' a serious driving offence."

Editor's Notes

DriveTech (UK) plc is one of the UK's leading providers of road risk management and driver assessment & education. We work both with organisations whose employees 'drive for work' and with members of the public who are offered education, as an alternative to prosecution, by the police.

DriveTech's vision is 'working together to eliminate road death and serious injuries' by providing the most effective and innovative solutions, using education and technology, to minimise risk for all road users.

DriveTech (UK) has won the Institute of Transport Management's (ITM) 'Fleet Award for Driver Training' in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and the 'European Driver Safety Specialist' award in 2005. In September 2007, it was named the ITM's 'UK Driver Training Solutions Specialist' for making 'the most significant impact upon the Driver Training and Safety sector over the past decade'

For further information, please contact David Richards at DriveTech (UK) at david.richards@drivetech.co.uk or 01344 467271.