MP calls for tougher drink-drive sentencing

A UK MP has said repeat drink-driver offenders need a greater deterrent and should face a jail sentence of up to two years. Currently drink drivers rarely receive more than a six month prison sentence regardless of the number of times they are caught over the legal limit.

Conservative MP Rehman Chisti said the courts should be given discretionary measures that would enable them to hand out harsher sentences where necessary.

The MP for Gillingham and Rainham introduced a Drink Driving (Repeat Offenders) Bill to Parliament saying that it would “allow the magistrate’s court discretion to refer a third or subsequent offence for drink driving to the crown court for sentencing, and grant the crown court the jurisdiction to give a custodial sentence of up to two yeas.”

Chisti said: “When a driver gets behind a wheel, they have a responsibility for their own road use and safety. But public safety is put at risk by those who choose to drink and drive. Studies have consistently shown that someone’s ability to drive is impaired by having alcohol present in their blood and that the risk increases as more alcohol is consumed. The risk to public safety has been recognised in law for almost 90 years, since the first drink driving offence was introduced in 1925.”

He added: “The current statutory provisions governing drink driving makes it an offence to drive or attempt to drive whilst under the influence of drugs or with excess alcohol in one’s bloodstream. Currently, the maximum sentence an offender can receive is six months in prison, which is the same for a first, for a second, for a third , fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh offence.

“I believe this needs to change so that those who continue to re-offend face tougher sentences, and those who persist in drink driving after drinking over legal limits will be deterred from doing so. There has been a huge shift in the public’s attitude towards drinking and driving over the years and we should not lose sight of the significant achievement that has been made by successive governments to tackle this: in 1979, 28 people were killed or seriously injured every day in drink and driving accidents. Thirty years later it has fallen to four a day, despite the volume of traffic increasing 80% since the 1980s.”

However, he cited surveys which showed that too many people still flouted the law, despite the known risks, and said more needed to be done.

“The figures show that in 2011 almost 10,000 casualties occurred when someone was driving over the legal alcohol limit. Sadly, 1,570 people were killed or seriously injured in drink driving accidents in 2011, which is up on the previous year.”

Setting out how his Bill would work in principle, Mr Chisti said: “On a first offence, the vast majority of drink drivers receive a non-custodial sentence, usually consisting of a fine and a driving ban. For a second offence, or in aggravated circumstances, we would expect a magistrate’s court to give a harsher sentence ranging from a community penalty to a custodial sentence. On a third offence the magistrate’s court will have a discretion to refer the case to the crown court, where the offender will receive up to two years’ imprisonment.

“This measure would provide the courts with the additional tool they need to tackle those who persist in flouting the law.”

The Bill, which has support from MPs across all three main parties, was brought forward unopposed. Its second reading is scheduled for November 22 but it is unlikely to make further progress without Government support.