Young driver news
05/10/2009
Insurance can't stop penalties of a fatal crash
He may have had a full licence and young drivers insurance, but an 18-year-old man who caused a fatal collision in May 2008 has been found guilty of dangerous driving at the High Court in Edinburgh and will be jailed for three years.
The young driver, aged 17 at the time of the crash, was found to have been driving with excessive speed at the time of the collision on the A90, Aberdeen to Peterhead road, when he drove into a Ford Fiesta.
A 15-year-old girl, a passenger in his car, was killed in the accident.
The Judge told the man, "It is the duty of the courts to discourage dangerous driving.
"The clear message must be sent out that motor cars, if not driven properly, can be lethal."
The man was also banned from driving for seven years, after which time he will have to retake an extended driving test.
He will also have to disclose his conviction for causing death by dangerous driving when he applies for young drivers insurance - some insurers may choose not to offer him a policy, if they so wish.
