Motorists could face immediate driving licence ban under new proposals – ‘Legal consequences’
Drivers have been warned they could face tougher measures for travelling on UK roads without proper insurance with new penalty points and an automatic licence ban now on the table.
It comes after a bill was introduced in parliament today which aims to toughen penalties for unlicensed drivers who kill someone on UK roads.
The Road Traffic Unlicensed Drivers Bill, presented by Labour MP Will Stone for Swindon North, sought to make driving without a valid licence automatically count as careless driving under the Road Safety Act 1988.
Under the careless driving offence, drivers can face between three and nine penalty points on their licence, an unlimited fine, and an automatic ban from driving depending on the severity of the case.
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The proposed legislation would close what Stone described as “dangerous gaps in our legal system” by imposing stricter consequences on those who choose to drive without a licence.
In the UK, the legal minimum requirement is third-party insurance, but despite this, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau detailed how the total number of uninsured vehicles is well over one million.
“A person who does not hold a valid license has no business being behind the wheel of a car. And when they do so, they put lives at risk,” Stone told the House of Commons. The bill received initial approval from MPs during today’s parliamentary session. It has been named after Harry Parker, a 14-year-old schoolboy who tragically lost his life in November 2022.
Harry was described as a popular and charming young man who excelled at football, winning several trophies. “He had the biggest heart,” his father Adam said, according to MP Will Stone. “He loved to make people laugh and he could light up a room just by his presence.”
Harry’s parents, Adam and Kelly Parker, were present in the parliamentary gallery as the bill was introduced. “This is not just a policy matter. It is about justice, accountability and preventing future tragedies,” Stone told MPs while acknowledging the family.
Harry was struck by a car outside his school on November 25, 2022, in an incident that Stone said, “truly rocked our community”.
The driver who hit Harry was operating the vehicle without a licence or insurance and failed to stop at the scene. Despite these circumstances, in November 2024, all charges against the driver were dropped.
“Let me be absolutely clear. This is not an attack on the Crown Prosecution Service or the police. They followed the law as it currently stands, but that is precisely the problem,” Stone explained.
“How can it be that a person can drive illegally, take a life and yet face no legal consequences?” he asked fellow MPs. Stone urged Parliament to honour Harry’s memory “with not just words but with action” as he presented the bill.
The Swindon North MP stated that while no legislation could ease the Parker family’s pain, the new law could prevent similar tragedies.
“We must ask ourselves, how can it be that knowingly operating a vehicle without a licence is not automatically deemed as careless or dangerous driving?” Stone said.
He described the current system as “flawed” and called for real-world consequences for unlicensed drivers. He also urged the Government to consider incorporating the bill into their road safety strategy.
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The bill will return to Parliament for its second reading on June 13, 2025. The initial presentation received unanimous support from MPs present in the chamber, with the motion passing on a voice vote.
If approved at the second reading, the bill would proceed through further parliamentary stages before potentially becoming law.