---

Road Safety Bill [Lords]

I have sometimes been tempted to take the course myself but have not got there yet. I agree that the institute is very important, and people should be encouraged to take its courses. I believe that some insurance companies give their clients credit for having taken them. In my experience, pointing to a financial advantage sometimes helps people along the way. The Bill also seeks to change the law relating to drivers who are not insured. The present law allows illegal drivers to be prosecuted only for disqualified driving, driving without insurance or driving without a licence, unless their driving was at fault, in which case a charge of careless or dangerous driving would be applicable. Under the new proposals, a driver who was on the road illegally—without insurance—would be liable if, but for his presence on the road, an accident and consequent death would not have occurred, even if the standard of his driving was not at fault. That is a major step forward. It deals with a particular cause of concern throughout the country: people who steal cars, or do not bother to insure their cars. If such people are on the road and a fatal accident occurs, it must be right to enable the courts to act.