Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris has welcomed an announcement from Jerry Moore, ACPO National Police Liaison Officer with the Department for Transport, that the police will be given the ability to immediately suspend the licences of drivers who are stopped whilst being medically unfit to drive, by having failing eyesight for example.
The move follows a meeting between Rebecca and Home Secretary Theresa May and a speech by Rebecca during the Crime and Courts Bill campaigning for action on the issue. Rebecca highlighted the cases of Essex teenager Cassie McCord, who was killed in a road side collision in February 2011 by a man who was warned by police he was unfit to drive only a few days earlier, and Natalie Wade who was killed in 2006 while on the way to buy her wedding dress by a driver who had been told by medical professionals that his eyesight was far too poor to continue driving.
The Home Office Minister Damian Green MP, who concluded the debate for the Government, said that Ministers would be meeting to discuss the points Rebecca raised about tackling unfit drivers later on that week.
Rebecca has been campaigning for action since she was contacted by Natalie Wade’s aunt Reverend Brenda Gutbertlet, who is one of Rebecca's constituents.
Currently if a police officer stops a driver who they believe to be medically unfit they are not able to quickly suspend their licence. In the future, action will be able to be taken quickly if it is determined that a licence revocation is needed.
Speaking on the change Rebecca said:
“I am very pleased the Government are making this very sensible change.”
“It makes complete sense that if the Police stop a driver who is unable to see properly or physically control their vehicle that they should be able to stop them from .”
“The sad thing is we don’t know how many people are killed or injured every year by drivers who know they are medically unfit to drive, but every avoidable death is one too many.”
“This is a very welcome and I have to say common sense move by the Government which will make our roads safer and allow the police to get on and do their job.”