Overview

The Road Traffic Offenders (Surrender of Driving Licences Etc.) Bill aims to simplify and clarify the process of surrendering driving licences and test certificates following road traffic offences in England, Wales, and Scotland. It updates existing legislation to streamline procedures related to fixed penalty notices, conditional offers, and court appearances, ensuring consistent identification of offenders.

Description

This bill makes several key changes to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 and the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995. Crucially, it introduces a new requirement for drivers disqualified from driving by a court to surrender their licence to the Secretary of State within 28 days. Failure to do so will be a criminal offence.

Changes to Licence Surrender:

The bill simplifies the process of surrendering licences following disqualification, fixed penalty notices, and conditional offers. It removes unnecessary steps and clarifies the responsibilities of both the driver and the authorities. A new standardized procedure is introduced for new drivers.

Changes to Identification Information:

The bill mandates that fixed penalty notices and conditional offers for offences requiring obligatory endorsement (penalty points) include details on how to provide identification information (name, date of birth, driving licence number). This is to ensure proper identification of the offender when penalty payments are made.

Minor and Consequential Amendments:

The bill also includes minor and consequential amendments to other related Acts, cleaning up inconsistencies and removing outdated or redundant provisions.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to have a significant impact on government spending. The changes primarily involve procedural adjustments and do not introduce major new financial obligations. Any potential costs would likely be associated with administrative changes and are not quantified within the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Drivers: Individuals who receive fixed penalty notices, conditional offers, or court orders related to driving offences will be directly affected, with new requirements regarding licence surrender and provision of identification details.
• Courts: Courts will see changes in procedures for dealing with driving licences during trials and sentencing.
• Secretary of State for Transport: The department will have increased responsibility for managing the surrender of licences.
• Police: The changes impact how police handle and process driving licence information after offences.
• New Drivers: Specific changes are made to streamline licence and test certificate surrender procedures for newly qualified drivers.

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