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Government Introduces New Legislation - New Laws for High Risk Offenders Introduced
In a bid to help make UK roads safer, the government has introduced new legislation that Road Safety Minister, Stephen Hammond says "will tighten up the law on drink driving and will mean the most dangerous offenders will have to prove they are no longer dependent on alcohol before they are allowed to get back behind the wheel".
The new legislation will come into force on 1st June 2013 and specifically targets drivers who have been disqualified and that are classed as 'High Risk Offenders'.
Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988
Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 has been amended and under the new laws, drivers that are classed as high risk offenders will no longer be able to rely on Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 in order to drive once their disqualification has expired, if they have submitted a qualifying application and whilst they wait to take and pass the DVLA medical examination.
Section 88 has been amended to allow drivers who have been disqualified and are classed as high risk to legally drive ONLY IF AND WHEN they have taken and passed the DVLA medical and they have been issued with a driving licence by the DVLA and not beforehand as was previously allowed.
High Risk Offender Scheme Extended
The legislation which lays out the criteria that must be met for drivers to be classified as high risk offenders has also been extended. As of 1st June 2013, any person disqualified by order of court for failing, without reasonable excuse, to give permission for a laboratory test to be carried out on a specimen of blood taken whilst that person was incapable of consenting to the specimen being taken will be classed as a high risk offender.
NOTE: The new legislation DOES NOT APPLY where the conviction in respect to which the disqualification was ordered was imposed before the date of which the new legislation commences. As stated previously the new legislation commences on the 1st June 2013. The new legislation will only apply to any relevant convictions on or after this date.
However we always recommend contacting the DLVA to clarify legal entitlement to drive if not in possession of a valid driving licence.
You can read more about the new legislation here
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