New Driver Offences
Legal Advice for New Drivers Accused of Driving Offences
If you’re a new driver, we know accusations of driving offences can be daunting. Having worked hard to get your licence, incurring penalty points or getting a driving ban can be distressing. Cartwright King’s trusted Motoring Law team will work to build the strongest possible defence for your case and protect your driving licence.
Get in touch with our friendly, fast-acting Motoring Law team today for trusted legal advice.
How Cartwright King Can Defend New Drivers
Here at Cartwright King, we put our all into every case – including new driver offences. Instead, we don’t judge and focus on the facts and coming up with the best defence possible. We provide you with reliable legal advice, ensuring that all the decisions made are in your best interest.
We can help you with a number of new driver offences, including:
Benefit from a Free, Initial Telephone Conversation
We understand that dealing with anything related to the law if you don’t have any experience in it can be extremely frustrating and stressful – especially in the very beginning when you need to choose how to go about your case. That’s precisely why we offer an initial telephone conversation.
The phone call will allow us to understand your situation and decide what will be the best way to proceed with things. The conversation is non-obligatory, which means that you can decide whether you want to continue with our services after it.
Why Choose Cartwright King for Your Defence?
There are plenty of reasons why you should decide to let us handle your case. First of all, by choosing to work with Cartwright King, you are choosing a team that will be with you throughout the whole process, offering legal advice whenever you need it and helping you understand the charges you are facing.
You are also choosing a non-judgemental and personal approach to your case – we understand that a driving ban can affect your day-to-day life greatly, which is why we’ll do our best to lower the chances of you facing that penalty as much as we can.
We’re a trusted, resourceful Legal 500 top tier law firm with specialist solicitors that are calm under pressure, giving you defence counsel that you can count on.
We're here for you.
Frequently asked questions.
Why Is There a Six-Point Limit In the First Two Years of Driving for New Motorists?
This rule is in place to protect road users and the general public from inexperienced motorists. The limit acts as a deterrent, ensuring that you observe the rules of the road or risk losing your driving licence. The six-point rule applies to new drivers of all ages. Whether you’re 17 or 70, you will lose your licence if you accumulate six points in under three years of driving.
What does revoked driving licence mean?
If your licence is revoked it means that you cannot drive until you have re-applied for your provisional licence and can work towards regaining your full licence by passing your theory and full driving test. You can start that process immediately. If you do not drive as a provisional driver you commit the offence of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, which would result in a fine and points on your licence.
How Do I Get My Licence Back If It's Revoked?
Unfortunately, if your licence is revoked, you will have to reapply for a provisional licence and then retake and pass both your driving theory test and the practical exam to get a new licence. You can apply for a provisional licence immediately after losing your full licence.
Also, note once you have passed the test, any previous penalty points still remain effective three years from the date of the offence.
If you’re disqualified from driving by the Court, you will have to wait until the length of your driving disqualification has passed before you can reapply for a driving licence. However, in most circumstances, you will not have to retake your theory test or practical exam.
Will a Conviction for a Motoring Offence Affect My Insurance?
Most insurance providers consider convicted drivers to be a greater risk to insure, so it’s possible that your vehicle insurance will be affected, but it depends on your insurer. The most likely outcome is that you will face higher insurance premiums when you’re back on the road.
Can a Learner Driver Receive Penalty Points on a Provisional Licence?
Yes, you can still receive points on your provisional licence before passing your driving test. Any endorsements you accumulate as a learner driver that haven’t expired will transfer over after passing the practical test. They will be added to your 6 penalty points limit of your
two-year probationary period. If you get 6 points on your provisional licence, you can still sit your practical test, but any more penalty points accumulated means that your licence will be immediately revoked.
Driving Licence Revoked - Can I Still Drive?
If your licence has been revoked and you continue to drive after this, then you will become liable for further more serious offences. You will also be driving with invalid car insurance.
As you will be on a provisional licence, you will be required to drive in a car with L plates and under the supervision of a qualified driver over the age of 21 who has been in possession of a full clean driving licence for three years.
Do I Receive Any Pre-Warning of a Revoked Licence?
If you have reached a total of 6 penalty points in your 2-year probation period as a new driver there, the authorities are under no obligation to warn you. The presumption is that you should have knowledge of the new driver Act 1995. However, you will receive a letter from the DVLA giving you five days’ notice of your licence being revoked. If you haven’t heard from the DVLA and want to check if your licence has been revoked, you find this information on the DVLA website.
How Many Times Does the New Drivers Act Apply?
You can only be subjected to the New Drivers Act once. If your licence has been revoked and you have applied for a provisional and passed your test again, it no longer applies.
But keep in mind that any penalty points you have accumulated remain valid for three years from the date of your offence. If, over a period of three years, you accumulate 12 points, you will be disqualified from driving for six months.
What Is the Difference Between Having Your Licence Revoked and Disqualification?
As we have already discussed, getting your car licence revoked is triggered if you receive 6 penalty points on your licence within two years of passing your driving test. You will need to obtain a new provisional licence and resit your test.
A disqualification is normally due to a more serious motoring offence such as drunk driving or driving while being under the influence of drugs. You will be banned from driving for a fixed period of time that will depend on the severity of the offence. Typically with a disqualification, you are not expected to retake your driving test. If you are disqualified for less than 56 days, you don’t need to reapply for your driving licence; if more than 56 days, you must reapply.
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