Taxi Driver Online

Sleepy cab driver escapes jail term

A TAXI DRIVER who fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a car while on the wrong side of the road has escaped a jail sentence. Timothy Warboys, 46, was driving a couple home from Stansted Airport when he fell asleep and collided with another car being driven by a doctor.

Although both cars were written off, the occupants in the other car suffered only minor injuries in the crash at Water Lane, Steeple Bumpstead, in October 2004. Although he was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to take an extended driving test, Warboys, of Apple Acre Road, Haverhill, escaped a custodial sentence.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Rodger Hayward-Smith ordered Warboys, who admitted a charge of dangerous driving, to do 50 hours of unpaid work. After hearing pre-sentence reports, the judge told Warboys he him would not be sent to prison even though he told him: "It appears you fell asleep at the wheel and had been nodding off earlier in this journey."

A report by police officers revealed Warboys had been on the wrong side of the road at the time of the accident. Mark Himsworth, mitigating, said Warboys had been a taxi driver for five years and had a clean licence, but he had not been driving since the court passed an interim disqualification order last month.

"The sad fact is that falling asleep has brought him to this court," said Mr Himsworth. Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, the road safety charity, said: "The maximum sentence for a conviction of dangerous driving is two years in prison, yet we rarely see this level of punishment given out.

"Driving while tired is extremely dangerous and can kill - the Government estimates that 300 people are killed every year in crashes involving a driver who has fallen asleep. "It is vital that the courts send out the right message to drivers, that this is a problem on our roads that we need to take very seriously."

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IDFIMH

I used to drive until i was close to doing it, but now when i'm tired i'm off home to bed, it's not worth it for an extra few quid.

I agree, but everytime I read a story such as this I'm reminded of a story from down this way a few years ago.

http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2002/9/12/150462.html

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IDFIMH

we have big problem with lewes licensed cabs.
they are so f******* cheap.
which is why the drivers have to work a zillion hours to earn a wage,

Can't spell, and now can't f****** count.

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IDFIMH

I know of a few PH and Hack drivers who work excessive hours. One Hack driver is often asleep on the ranks, and has to be woken up to move up the rank. Last week I had to wake up a PH driver who was fast asleep in his car on the Station Rank, to invite him to move on. He then parked up, and came over to talk to me. He wanted to know if he could earn more as a Hack owner than on PH. He told me he was working from 6am to 2am every day. (in broken english) His office know, obviously, and do nothing. He will kill, sooner or later, and we will all end up with a spy in the cab tacho.


And whilst I am talking about this Middle Eastern (Iraqi?) driver, how do they do a proper CRB check on them? Maybe I should ask "Claire?"

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Former taxi driver

Depends how long he has been in the UK, the longer the better check.

But if he has only been in a little while, then it's highly un-likely he has had a proper check.

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IDFIMH

Well, quite. But he could easily have been a member of Saddam's Republican Guard, and may have slaughtered Kurdish babies, for all we know. He would hardly put that on his CV, would he?

No emoticons, because I'm not laughing.

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Former taxi driver

But what's the answer? Yes he could well be a nasty, but he could also be a good'en.

I think this has been discussed on here a few times, and I think the best way to go is the way the CRB license doormen under the new licensing act.

If you can't prove your back-ground for a certain number of years, then you don't get licensed.

Problem is that avenue doesn't help the good'ens.

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IDFIMH

In this era of zero tolerance perhaps there should be legislation that states any person who's background cannot be identified for whatever reason will be subject to a probationary period of not less than 10 years, or perhaps some other period, either longer or shorter?

JD

In York all foreign drivers are asked to provide the address of their overseas embassy and then the la write to them and ask for a letter of confirmation to substantiate the claim for not having a record, many applications are withdrawn at this stage,

In some cases that's a sound way forward, but in many it ain't.

Say you're from the Sudan and have (genuinely) fled persecution. What chance do you think the Sudanese Embassy will give them a pukka reference?

When they would rather them dead.

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IDFIMH

The problem with this industry is you have to work load's of hour's to earn a living
Iv'e got driver's who work 18 hour shift's and the boss doesn't care, he's only interested in the rent money.

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stressed controller!!!

I suppose that's one benefit of the minimum working week.

If no-one can earn in sensible hours, then no-one will be left in it.

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IDFIMH

Low earnings is one aspect, but on the other hand some will always work excessive hours, no matter how much they earn. If they earn more they'll just have a better house, better car, more hols etc, but will still work mega hours.

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