Motorist news - Car insurance for convicted drivers and stricter penalties

Car insurance news - Convicted drivers to face tougher penalties

Motorists who have committed dangerous driving offences and later sought out a car insurance for convicted drivers policy may have already been issued a fine or have served a maximum sentence of two years in prison for causing a serious injury.

However, these penalties may be set to change as it has been reported that Kenneth Clarke, the justice secretary, has announced plans to increase the maximum jail sentence for an offence of "causing serious injury by dangerous driving" to five years.

The proposed changes, which will reportedly be included in the Government's Sentencing Bill, have arisen amid concerns that the current two-year maximum sentence does not adequately reflect a service of justice in incidents which have caused life-altering injuries.

Mr Clarke stated that although the current laws provide courts with sufficient powers in the vast majority of cases, there were also a few cases where the maximum penalty was inadequate. The alterations have been proposed as a result of the voiced experiences of victims of dangerous drivers and their families.

The head of road safety at the AA, Andrew Howard, said, "Dangerous drivers should face the consequences of their actions. These law changes should make sentences more proportionate to the devastation dangerous driving causes."

Drivers searching for a car insurance quote must inform their provider of any unspent convictions when searching for car insurance for convicted drivers.