The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) continues to carry out strict measures for motorists, sparing no one – not even a91-year-old dealing with Alzheimer's disease. In one of the latest issues involving the agency, thepensioner was prosecuted for unpaid insuranceon his vehicle.
It was added that the man could no longer drive his vehicle, a Renault Megane, because of his condition. According to his son, his father's licence had been revoked because of his condition, a reason why the vehicle was just parked in their driveway.
The son also added that the vehicle was set to be sold, apparently because his father could no longer use it. He added that the car was insured for five days after passing an MOT, in preparation for the vehicle's impending sale.
The son added that the vehicle was officially sold on 22 September. He also pointed out that the vehicle was indeed not insured, but only for a short time.
Despite his explanations, the DVLA hardly considered it. They pushed through with the charges against the elderly, standing pat that the pensioner technically had a car that did not meet insurance requirements,The Telegraphreported.
The 91-year-old was reportedly informed about the potential prosecution as early as September last year. A letter regarding the criminal proceedings was sent to him last month.
The incident involving the Alzheimer's pensioner is a controversial case for the DVLA. However, the agency argues that it only carries out the information it gets from the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) and is unaware of people who are branded as vulnerable.
The DVLA admits that it does not usually review mitigation letters, adding that it all falls under SJP jurisdiction. They add that this is a reason why they are clueless about whether any individual is vulnerable since they are not properly flagged.
Hence, the DVLA is hoping the government can look into the SJP procedures, particularly the part where prosecutors are called upon to review mitigation letters. In an effort to avoid future issues, the agency is requesting affected defendants to directly go to them to share information that they may not have.
'A guilty plea with mitigation made through the Single Justice Procedure can be referred back to DVLA, and whether or not to do so is a decision taken by the magistrate. In this case, the guilty plea was not referred back to us, and we are now taking action to have the case reopened and withdrawn,' a DVLA spokesperson stated.
Source: International Business Times UK
