In November 2018 the law changed to allow medicinal cannabis to be prescribed in certain circumstances by specialist registered Doctors. Initially the uptake of such prescriptions was slow, but as more Doctors have been registered the number of administered prescriptions is increasing, and therefore inevitably the number of people who are driving having taken prescribed […]
Self Driving Vehicles Self driving vehicles could be on British roads in the very near future after the government’s new flagship Automated Vehicles Act – referenced in the King’s Speech – became law on the 20th May 2024. The government has said road safety is at the heart of the legislation with automated vehicles expected […]
Speed Limiters From 7 July 2024 all new vehicles sold will need to have speed limiters installed. The law has been introduced further to an EU law enacted in 2022. The requirements came into force after various publications and research showing that exceeding the speed limit contributed to a significant proportion of road traffic accidents. […]
M4, Wiltshire, Alleged Mobile Phone Use Have you received s.172 request for driver information regarding a mobile telephone offence captured by the new AI Safety Cameras? https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/24138542.drivers-warned-caught-safety-cameras-using-ai-m4/ The offence of driving whilst using a mobile telephone carries six points and £200 fine. We have been made aware that Wiltshire Police are sending out correspondence asking […]
The A20 is a wide dual carriageway. If you want to look it up on Google, it’s on the A20 Sidcup bypass where the McDonald’s is. It’s always been a 70 limit for about 40 years. In October 2023 it was changed to 40 mph. In December they switched the average speed cameras on and […]
Drug Driving Lab Test Prosecutions called into Question Hundreds of drug-driving prosecutions have been called into question following a review of lab tests. More than 1,700 results where drug levels were reported to above the legal limit have had to be withdrawn’. This is not a loophole where guilty people are simply trying to ‘get […]
Charges dropped on the basis of private land Mr L was charged with offences of driving without due care and attention, failing to stop and failing to report. It was alleged that the defendant had a collision on a private driveway, and subsequently failed to stop and exchange details and/or report the incident to a […]
Drive whilst unfit dropped before Court Our client was charged with an allegation of driving whilst unfit through drink. They had collided with a bus stop post and knocked it over. The police attended the scene and breathalysed our client, who gave a positive reading for alcohol. When they reached the police station, the client […]
Before deciding to instruct Patterson Law, Mr X was asked to attend the police station under suspicion of dangerous driving after an alleged road rage incident. It was at this police interview that Mr X admitted he was indeed driving at the time of the incident, but he denied the conduct described. Whilst this was being […]
Mr X was caught speeding at 66mph in a 40mph limit. For that speed he would be a risk of receiving six penalty points – but because it was within the first two years of passing his test he was also at risk of losing his licence. Any driver who accumulates six points within those […]