DRIVERS who fail to stop and report a road accident that causes serious injury or death could be banned from driving for life, under proposals from a Deputy.
Reform Jersey politician Catherine Curtis is asking the Home Affairs Minister to create a new standalone offence for failing to stop and report an accident following a serious or fatal injury.
If approved, the offence would fall under the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1956 and could result in a lifetime driving disqualification.
Deputy Curtis said: “No family or close friends of a victim of a serious road traffic accident should have to see the perpetrator driving a vehicle at a future date.”
Deputy Curtis pointed to figures which she said showed Jersey has the highest road casualty rate in Britain. During the last five years, there have been nine fatalities, 242 serious injuries, and almost 1,000 slight injuries.
Deputy Curtis said: “Driving is not a right but a privilege, and justice is not served for victims left to die, or for their families, when the person responsible is allowed to drive again.”
She explained that the offence of “causing death by dangerous driving” was introduced in 1997 and the penalties – a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, and a minimum of two years disqualification from driving – had remained the same since then.
The Reform Jersey politician acknowledged that a lifetime driving ban is a “serious legal measure”, but argued that it can be “justified for several reasons” – including preventing dangerous drivers from re-offending, ensuring drivers take responsibility instead of fleeing, discouraging reckless driving and hit-and-run incidents, and making sure offenders face serious consequences.
She said that the law change would “demonstrates the justice system’s commitment to addressing the dangers posed by irresponsible drivers”.
She concluded: “Considering the exceptionally high number of road casualties in Jersey, there is no time to be lost in implementing measures to reduce serious injuries or death, and a lifetime ban for those who cause serious injury or death by dangerous driving and who fail to stop and report the incident, may assist in reducing numbers while affording greater justice to victims and families.”
