Overview

• BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail launched a campaign urging the Ministry of Justice and the Sentencing Council to make lifetime bans the default for motorists who kill or flee crash scenes.
• Research reported by BirminghamLive from Onward found that only 2 of 202 convictions for causing death by dangerous driving between June 2023 and June 2024 resulted in lifetime driving bans.
• Locally, recent high‑profile West Midlands cases of death or serious injury caused by dangerous or careless driving have not resulted in lifetime disqualifications.
• Survivors and bereaved families are backing the push, including crash survivor Harriet Barnsley, whose friend Rebecca McManus was killed by a 101mph driver.
• Officials have not announced changes to guidance or law, but public pressure is building, including a national petition calling for permanent bans for repeat dangerous drivers after a teenager’s death.