Motorists are set to face tougher restrictions for driving offences across a major region as part of plans to tackle road casualties.
It comes after Jersey's States Assembly approved new proposals that could see drivers who cause serious injury or death and fail to stop face lifetime driving bans.
The measures, proposed by Deputy Catherine Curtis and endorsed by the Minister for Infrastructure, were adopted in May following amendments made through consultation.
The proposition creates a new offence under the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1956, specifically targeting drivers who fail to stop and report accidents involving serious or fatal injuries.
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Drivers who fail to stop and assist at a road accident could have their licence revoked
GETTYCrucially, the amended proposal also requires drivers to provide assistance to injured persons, a requirement which is currently not included in existing legislation.
The lifetime driving disqualification would serve as a maximum penalty, with courts retaining discretion to apply sentences based on individual circumstances.
The need for new measures follows reports which found that Jersey has the highest road casualty rate in the UK, with nine fatalities and 242 serious injuries recorded over the past five years, alongside nearly 1,000 slight injuries.
The Minister for Infrastructure stated that "further action is necessary" to meet this objective, noting that the proposition forms part of broader efforts to combat road safety issues.
The measures come after reports found that Jersey had the highest road casualties in the UK
GETTYHe acknowledged that Jersey has witnessed "too many tragic incidents on our roads and examples of poor, sometimes reprehensible behaviour."
The proposals emerged following what the Minister described as "tragic events of which Members are aware, and which we all hope will never be repeated."
Curtis argued that "driving is not a right but a privilege, and justice is not served for victims left to die, or for their families, when the person responsible is allowed to drive again." She emphasised that drivers who flee accident scenes demonstrate "a lack of moral responsibility and empathy for the victim(s)."
The proposition aims to serve as a deterrent, with Curtis suggesting that knowing they face a lifetime ban might encourage drivers to stop and report accidents. "This could save lives," she stated.
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The Minister for Infrastructure expressed support for the amended proposition, confirming he and the Assistant Minister backed the initiative from the outset.
Following consultation with Curtis, amendments were made to ensure the proposition could "deliver meaningful change to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused in road collisions."
The amendments introduced a requirement for consultation before implementing changes, which the Minister indicated would include the Courts, professional bodies such as the Law Society, and community groups.
The refined proposal also clarified that lifetime disqualification would be a maximum penalty rather than a mandatory measure.
Under the newly adopted measures, drivers in Jersey can face a maximum penalty of a lifetime ban for offences
PAThe Minister committed to writing to the Bailiff, as Chief Justice, requesting a review of sentencing guidelines alongside the legislative changes.
"I believe we have arrived at a position where this proposition now requests that work takes place towards meaningful and worthwhile change," he stated.
Current legislation already includes an offence under Article 52 of the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1956 for failing to stop and report accidents involving personal injury.
However, the new proposals add the requirement to provide assistance to injured persons, which the Minister noted "is not included in the current 1952 Law and distinguishes the proposition from its original."