Friend drove my car whilst on a ban

[user3837264]

Hello, I really need some advice. I have name changed for this for obvious reasons.

A few days ago I had a few drinks at the pub so my friend offered to drive us home in my car as I was over the limit. Great, I thought.

Turns out he's got a speeding fine in my car. 62 in a 50. The letter arrived today and I have to name the driver.

I mentioned it to him today as there is photographic evidence of him driving. He is male I am female btw.

He has informed me he has no insurance and is on a ban.

I had no idea.

He is telling me to use a random man's name and say I met him in the pub so I don't know his address.

I'm worried and I don't know what to do. He could face prison as this isn't his first offence/he is on tag (again, I didn't know this at the time)

Please don't flame me, I am so worried and don't know what to do for the best.

Shall I just say it was me and hope they don't check the camera evidence? I will take the points and fine to make this all go away.

I know I've been very stupid. I just didn't want to risk drink/driving.

TIA xxx

You’d be very stupid to try and claim you were driving, they will absolutely check the photo which will show a male driver.

The only thing you can do is be completely honest now and both of you need to accept whatever comes from that.

For Christ's sake tell the truth!! You could end up in very serious trouble otherwise.

I wouldn't recommend lying as that's worse than the original offence, you could just not tell them who was driving and they will give you the points for that without having to lie to the courts.
Hopefully someone with legal knowledge should be able to help you (as the obvious answer is that you have not committed an offence so should tell them truthfully what you know and it's down to the driver to defend themselves accordingly)

Tell the truth. And also dont drive somewhere when you know you are going to drink. Its just common sense

You know the answer and it is a big fat NO!

At best you will have to declare it when taking out insurance and suffer increased premiums.
At worst you could go to jail, there are plenty of high profile cases to read up on including an (now ex) MP.

Tell the truth! I cant believe anyone lets people drive their car without checking someone is insured.

You have to tell the truth otherwise you'll be prosecuted too.

You're very, very lucky there was no crash otherwise you could have been on the hook for that too because you let him drive your car without checking he had valid insurance.

Don’t lie to the authorities. Tell the truth-you don’t have any other options.

Some future advice:-

Don’t let random people drive your car. It’s yours, you should be the one driving it.
If you have driven your car to the pub, don’t drink alcohol!

This person is not your friend, they are a terrible person. You need to accept firstly that the friendship is over.

They are willing to put your future freedom at stake for their own (they will know full well how much trouble you would be in). They lied to you about the ban, and the tag. That's not even getting into why they have the tag in the first place?!

They are putting themselves first, you need to do the same and be entirely honest.

Oh goodness.
Sorry but I got a driving ban once and never in a million years would I have gotten in and driven my own car let alone someone else's car! I literally thought "never in a million years do I want more trouble" even when I was desperate to drive. I just sucked it up.

What a plonker.
You have an unbelievably irresponsible friend. Firstly I would tell the truth on the form, then I'd make a big distance from this friend.

Tell the truth and make better choices in both friends and behaviour in future.

You can go to prison for lying and taking the points. You’re an idiot to even think about it.

His foot was on the pedal. He chose to speed.
He knows he is banned. He knows he is uninsured. He chose to drive.

Give his name and address and anything that happens is all his own fault.

He's your friend but you didn't know he was tagged? Didn't see the great big tag on his ankle?

Well… you can’t drive home if you drink anything at all. One drink puts you over the limit. Doesn’t make you a lose. Just plan ahead to not drive.

Just tell the truth. There's no other option.

You tell the truth.

You don’t allow yourself to be coerced and manipulated by a known liar and someone who has already broken the law.

He wouldn’t give one shit if you got into trouble for lying. He’d shrug his shoulders and be happy he was off the hook.

Don't sacrifice yourself. Tell the truth.

Please don’t lie, as others have said it’s a criminal offence (perverting the course of justice) and can lead to prison. It’s really not worth it.

(Look up the case of Vicky Pryce, she and her husband (then an MP) both served time in prison after she lied to take his speeding points so he could avoid a driving ban.)

You have no choice at all. You must say who was driving and that you were unaware he was banned.
Anything else will get you in worse trouble than you are already in.

And don't drive to the pub if you are intending to drink alcohol.

He is telling me to use a random man's name and say I met him in the pub so I don't know his address.

Do. not. do . This.

Under any circumstances.

And do not say it was you driving, either.

Lying about this is perverting the course of justice and looked in far more seriously than the original offence.

Look up Chris Huhne , an MP, and his wife Vicky Pryce. They both went to prison after they said she was driving after he got caught speeding.

This is all on your friend. He pro actively offered and chose to drive knowing it was illegal, and knowing that you didn’t know his circumstances.

He is a criminal.

If Chris Huhne, an MP, and his wife who ‘took the points’ can go to prison (first offence at lying ) you certainly can.

They have photographic evidence, and the random stranger story is obviously bollocks.

Tell the truth.

He is a seriously crap friend anyway. He didn’t give a flying fuck about YOUR welfare, did he! Speeding and uninsured!

And he is a danger to others . He needs to be taken off the road.

@user3837264 Is he worth going to prison for? You really want to get a criminal conviction that will stop you visiting other countries, that could make you lose your job or your home?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/11/chris-huhne-vicky-pryce

He’s in charge of his own choices OP. He chose to do all the things that led up to the ban and the tag etc. This is in no way your fault.

He’s also now choosing to try to manipulate you into doing something that will get you into serious trouble. He’s not the friend you think he is.

Do not lie.

Your friend was stupid to drive while banned and especially stupid to then speed past a speed camera when driving while banned. You won't make this situation better by making yourself guilty of aiding and abetting these offenses.

Aren’t people who are tagged usually on a curfew? Was it the evening?

Do not lie. Just tell the truth. Yes he’ll get in trouble, that’s his fault not yours.