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

I was reading it that he wasn't tagged at the time but is now. Maybe.

WTF?! Why would you take the rap for this? There's no need.
.
He caused the situation. He knew his circumstances and shouldn't have offered to drive whilst knowing he wasn't insured and was banned. He then shouldn't have chosen to speed, on top of this!
.
He didn't have to drive you home, the car could have been left where it was and you got a taxi, so don't let him make out he's done you some massive favour and you owe him one. This is not your problem to fix, it's his. If he goes to prison that's entirely due to his actions and life choices, it's not your fault.
.
Give them his name and address, anything else is ridiculous and stupid and risks your own driving license issues/criminal record.

Maybe not. I think I read, 'on tag again' but now I read properly I see it. And yes, people on tag have a curfew.

You are neither responsible for his actions nor the consequences of those actions. Tell the truth, if he goes to prison that is as a direct consequence of his own actions.

I'm pretty sure as the owner of the vehicle you can also be in trouble for letting someone who is banned drive your car. I know a couple, he was banned and she let him drive her car. He got caught and had to lie and say she had no idea he was driving her car otherwise she would have been implicated too. I'm not sure if you would get let off though as you didn't know he was banned 🤷‍♀️

I've just googled it. Hopefully they believe your ignorance.

Having a few drinks doesn’t make someone a loser, @Howdull - what a horrible thing to say! And given that she had had some drinks, @user3837264 did the right thing by not driving - again, not the actions of a loser.

Her friend is 100% a loser for not telling her that he didn’t have insurance and was on a driving ban. She should have checked, but presumably she trusted this friend enough to trust him that he would tell her if he shouldn’t drive - I think that is a fairly easy mistake to make.

@user3837264 - you should tell the truth - lying to the police is a serious matter, and your friend is being utterly unreasonable to expect you to do this. He isn’t showing himself in a particularly good light, with all this - I’d make him an ex friend, if I were you.

Well, if you lie you could go to prison and if you tell the truth then he could.

I know which I would prefer.

To be honest, he deserves to be in prison.

It seems to me that the real killer is Insurance.

Shall I drive your car is a fairly innocent offer but the reply always needs to be 'are you insured for it' coupled with a sensible appraisal of the reply.

Two friends both drive and have their own cars so if they say 'yes' than its quite likley they would be covered to drive my car but if you dont know much about someone's driving/car arrangements you may have to decide not to let them drive.

Do not lie! He knew he should not have been driving!

And pick the people you spend your one precious life with better.

This is mainly on him. Tell the truth. He's no friend of yours.

a) he lied by omission
b) he went over the speed limit in someone else's car.

What kind of friend goes either of those things. Wanker.

You tell the truth. He could have chosen not to drive. He could have chosen to tell you the truth before he did drive. He could have chosen to share a cab with you. Don’t protect him and put yourself at risk in doing so. Certainly don’t say it was someone else.

Another vote for tell the truth.

It's not your fault your "friend" is a bloody idiot. He made the decision to drive you, he sped, he's the one who's broken the law.

Why would you let yourself risk taking the fall for him?

Do not lie!

Don't lie for him.

Similar happened to me with an ex-boyfriend many years ago when I was very young and naïve. .No drink involved but I let him borrow my car to go to work as his was getting fixed, a few hours later Police knocked on the door of my college class and asked to speak to me. Turned out not only was he not insured but he'd never passed a test despite driving since we met a few months before..

It went to court, I got 3 points for allowing someone to drive my car without insurance and another 3 for allowing an unqualified driver to drive my car plus £100 fine (around 30 years ago).

I was lucky as it was a first offence, so was my by-then ex as IIRC he got a ban, a larger fine and community service.

This sounds like I'm trying to scare you OP, I'm really not. I made an expensive mistake, both in money and in getting a criminal record (long spent) but it would have been far, far worse if I'd tried to lie.

It is not your responsibility to mop up his messes. He is an adult.

What a mess , don’t lie .

@user3837264

Is he threatening you or are you scared of him as I do not know why you would ask this question otherwise.

You need to give hid details and then cut ties as he is no good.

I dont know why on earth you would even consider making up some strangers details after what this prick did to you. He drove your bloody car with no insurance and a ban and then sped. Good grief, tell the truth. If he goes to prison tough shit for him- its all his own fault and he certainly doesnt give a toss about you if he's asking you to risk going to prison for perverting the course of justice.

He literally doesnt care about you at all. You could have paid for a taxi if he had told the truth and avoided all this stupid nonsense.

To be honest, OP, nobody would believe that you would let a random stranger drive your car. I don't think. Your friend is trying to get himself off the hook, but isn't very concerned about you. Tell the truth. It's the only pragmatic way forward. Anything else risks a jail term for you.

Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

And dump this "friend".

The OP is not an intimate partner of this man and would not have had any way of knowing he was banned. She was also over the limit when she consented to him driving her car, at his suggestion.

Being part of a couple is probably a very different matter.

OMFG, what a nightmare 🤯 of course you give his details

OP - tell the truth and the worst that could happen is that you get points for allowing him to drive your car uninsured. Pretty much the same penalty as for speeding if you were to pretend it was you. But there is a strong chance that the police would spend time dealing with him not you if you tell the truth.

Lie /Cover for him and the worst that could happen is that you get sent to prison for 8 months like Chris Huhne / Vicky Pryce for perverting the course of justice.

Fill in the form and post it. Now.

Then block and avoid 'friend' . And if he threatens you tell the police and get an injunction.

I think you’ll be in trouble anyway for allowing someone to drive your car without insurance….unless your car is insured for any driver?