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If you are old enough to remember a British comedy double act using the phrase along the lines of “steps back in amazement” on a regular basis then you – like me – probably take a step back in amazement at the seeming youthfulness of some of the drivers on the road these days.
Well, it seems that your little backward moves of astonishment are not in vain. It has just been reported that across the UK an incredible 5,000 children have been banned from driving since 2009.
In a lot of cases they will be able to drive without any problems when they turn 17 but some cases are more serious than that. For example, there is a 12 year old who has been banned from the road for life after 2 different acts of aggravated vehicle theft and a count of not providing a specimen for alcohol testing.
A better example of a more common case would be that of a 15 year old who is banned from driving for a couple of years following a conviction. Now they will be able to ask for a licence when the term ends and they turn 17.
The numbers were gained under Freedom of Information by the car magazine Auto Express. The total number of people under the age of 17 who have been banned from getting behind the wheel in the last 3 years runs to 5,333.
Even 11 and 12 Year Olds Are At It
Among these young offenders are 5 who are 11 years old and 41 who have reached the ripe old age of 12. Good lord, when I was 12 I had nightmares for a week after eating the last finger of Kitkat one night when I knew that it should have really have gone to my sister. I can’t imagine how being banned from driving would have affected me.
Of course, I never found out because I never did anything which could have caused me to get a driving ban. I was too busy watching dodgy old comedy shows and supping Um Bongo of an evening. Maybe it is time for the kids to forget about the cars for a while and rediscover the simple pleasures of hackneyed catchphrases and sugary fruit drinks.