Supercar Drivers: Common Road Traffic Issues

The Law, and your Supercar


If you are the proud owner of a supercar – perhaps a Ferrari f430, a Lamborghini Murcielargo or an Aston Martin DB9 – you will know all about driving a truly superb piece of machinery. You will also be aware of the headaches that these temperamental beasts can cause – exorbitant insurance costs, expensive replacement parts and, last but by no means least, the unwanted attention of the authorities.

If you feel that you have been targeted by the police more for the car you are driving rather than the manner in which you were driving it, then this would come as no surprise to us. We have a long established reputation for dealing with blue chip clients, many of whom drive supercars. A common feature is that our clients feel they have been ‘targeted’ by the police.

Unfortunately there can be a heavy price to pay for this unwanted attention across all areas of road traffic law:

Drink-Driving

Did you know that, under current law, you can lose your supercar as well as your licence if convicted of drink-driving? The Procurator Fiscal, in some circumstances, can argue that your vehicle should be seized and destroyed. It goes without saying that, for wrongly accused supercar drivers, this is an extremely heavy price to pay. If you are charged with drink-driving or failing to provide a specimen and plead Guilty, the Crown may well try to persuade the court that your supercar should be forfeited.

There may well be legal defences to the charge against you and there may also be reasons why, even in the event of Guilt, that your vehicle should NOT be forfeited. Our advice is DO NOT plead Guilty until you have received legal advice. You face not only a criminal conviction but also the loss of your prized possession.

Dangerous Driving

Supercars are superbly engineered and handling vehicles. It is all too easy for speed to ‘creep up’ to levels which the law considers to be ‘dangerous’ based on little or no more than the speed alone. Reference is often made to factors such as ‘braking distances’ and the authorities will invariably refer to an objective standard provided for in the Highway Code. We understand that this is unfair as supercars are equipped with highly-advance braking systems and can stop far more efficiently that the average car. However the law makes no allowance for this fact. Dangerous driving is a very serious charge and it is absolutely essential that you obtain legal representation if you are charged with this offence. We have successfully defended numerous cases like this and will often enlist the assistance of the car manufacturer to do so.

Driving Without a Licence/Driving Without Insurance

Are you a foreign national from outwith the EU but now resident in the UK? Are you driving in the UK by virtue of a driving licence issued in your home country? In our experience, many supercar drivers are in exactly this position and many unfortunately find themselves being charged with driving without a valid licence or insurance.

Again, our clients have often said that they feel that they have been ‘targeted’ by the police because of the car they are driving. This is a complex are of the law. In short, the law states that visitors from non-EU countries can drive in the UK for up to 12 months from when they first become resident in the UK. Thereafter the driver must apply for a UK driving licence and pass a UK driving test. Certain countries are exempted from this rule but it remains the general rule.

If you are a foreign national and find yourself being charged with driving without a valid licence and, so it will follow, without valid insurance. However this area of the law is very complex and there may well be legal defences to this charge based upon the nature of your association with the UK and your home country.

If you find yourself in this position, you should contact us immediately for consultation.