Safe Speed Forums

31 points - and still he's on the road


A SALESMAN has been allowed to carry on driving despite notching up a staggering THIRTY ONE penalty points on his licence.

Jeffrey Englander, 60, accumulated the points after committing a series of motoring offences, including speeding and failing to produce his insurance documents.

Drivers are usually disqualified when once they reach 12 points but Mr Englander is still on the road with nearly three times the limit after pleading “exceptional hardship”.

He successfully argued that a driving ban would put his new business at risk and was given one last chance.

Mr Englander, of Prestwich, told the M.E.N: “I pleaded hardship and had a fantastic magistrate who let me off, I couldn’t believe it.”

Alarmed

Last night, road safety campaigners said they were “alarmed” that he had escaped a driving ban with so many points on his licence and called on the courts to take a harder line on motoring convictions.

Mr Englander, who represented himself at when he appeared before Salford Magistrates’ Court, said: “The magistrate just said: ‘I’ll let you off this time’.

“I think I had spent a night in jail and maybe they felt sorry for me.

“I said I needed my car for my job and he said, on that occasion, they would let me off but if I got one more point I would be banned. “

He added: “I was very apologetic. You have to be very, very humble. The more they can see you are sorry, the more chance you have of getting off.

” I was very humble and also dressed respectfully.”

Loophole

Mr Englander returned to court on a charge of failing to produce insurance papers - but he escaped any more points when Manchester motoring law specialists firm Geoffrey Miller found a legal loophole.

Jeanette Miller, supervising solicitor at the company, said: “Mr Englander came to us with 31 points on his driving licence. I have never seen one a driving licence like it.

“We put forward that this offence should have been dealt with at the same time as the other matters. That did not happen due to an administrative error. He would have received a further eight points, taking him up to 39 points. However, the court accepted our argument.”

Mr Englander said he has now mended his ways.

He said: “I’m not going to push things. I’m just driving very, very carefully now. I don’t need any more problems.”

Shocking

A spokeswoman for Brake, the national road safety charity, said: “Brake is very disappointed to hear that Mr Englander is still allowed to drive with a shocking 31 points on his licence.

“The magistrate’s justification of the ‘exceptional hardship’ Mr Englander would face if he lost his licence would be incomparable to a family’s loss if his continued dangerous driving caused a fatality.

“Legal loopholes must be closed and magistrates must use their full power to in punishing repeat offenders.”

A spokesman for Road Safety charity Roadpeace said: “I’ve never previously come across someone with such a number of points on their licence.

“We are alarmed that the court sees fit to allow this person to continue driving while he appears to have no qualms about flouting driving regulations.”

Exceptional hardship eh? Tough! If you're that bad a driver as go accumulate 31 points then you should be off the road.

So we think that you can get three points when driving safely, but to get 31 you have to be a nutter?

The shame of it is that points don't mean anything any more.

Jeffrey Englander, 60, accumulated the points after committing a series of motoring offences, including speeding and failing to produce his insurance documents.

Out of interest, do we know what his accident record is like? Has he caused a KSI recently?

So we think that you can get three points when driving safely, but to get 31 you have to be a nutter?

The shame of it is that points don't mean anything any more.

anyone got any idea who would insure someone with 31 points on their license?

A company with a really huge proposal form?

The fact that he failed to produce IMO suggests something more sinister

Not to me.

Perhaps his local police station only opens office hours, as many do.

Last night, Jeanette Miller, his solicitor, said that she had never come across a motorist with as many points against his name.

She said the case highlighted the fact that motorists were not automatically banned as soon as they reach 12 penalty points. They had the right to go before a court and put forward a case of "exceptional hardship''. Miss Miller said the salesman had stayed below the 12-point level until September, 2003, when he pleaded guilty to "several'' offences.

While none of these was related either to speeding or driving, each was punishable by the imposition of eight points. They concerned insurance and licence matters.

The previous day Mr Englander had been due to be dealt with for an additional offence of failing to produce insurance documents. However, he did not turn up.

It was this offence that led to his latest appearance in court and magistrates accepted that court staff failed to tell him of the hearing so he escaped a further eight points. Miss Miller said: "He had just set up a business and he was going through some emotional difficulties."