The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice have show that prosecutions for motoring offences increased last year by 4.5%, from 566,000 in 2013 to 591,000 in 2014.
The annual Criminal Justice statistics for 2014 show that the largest increase was for speeding offences, which saw a 26% increase in Court appearances to 159,000 speeding prosecutions last year. In addition, offences of driving without insurance increased to 144,000 offences.
However most other offences registered falls: with decreases in drink-driving, careless driving and using of a mobile phone whilst driving. The number of prosecutions for the most serious motoring offences also fell in 2014, but causing death by dangerous driving saw an increase from 144 prosecutions to 176. Causing death by careless driving prosecutions decreased from 234 to 205 over the course of the last year. However, it’s likely that the changes in these two figures can be attributed to an increased use of the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Motorists receiving prison sentences in 2014 also received higher average sentences for the more serious motoring offences – the average jail term fro Death by Dangerous Driving increased from 3 & half years to 4 years. The message seems to be that the Courts are prosecuting more drivers for the minor motoring offences such as exceeding the speed limit whilst increasing the average custodial sentence for the most serious offences, including death by dangerous driving.