Driver Profiling and Witness Statements

We are specialists in driving psychology and remedial training serving the legal profession, individual drivers, companies and organisations.

• Preparation of expert witness statements for court proceedings in relation to speeding, due care and attention, traffic lights etc., driving offences.
• Provision of detailed driver profiles for pre-employment, HSE requirements, training needs analysis, disciplinary hearings.
• Analysis of 'cause and effect', and as such provide evidence for prosecution or client defence and mitigation.
• Individual driver report based on deconstructive psychometric profiling techniques, and when applicable an on-road driving assessment.
• Identification of the psychological factors and specific driver risk situations that may have been instrumental in motivating the actual or potential offending driving behaviour.
• Assessments cover key areas of driver behaviour including:- demographic driving risk, personality factors, driving style, situational variables, attitudes towards risk and driving, stress, anger-management, decision-making ability, hazard perception and awareness.
• Training and traffic education grounded in cognitive behavioural methodology with recommendations for remedial training or self-change.
• Cost effective fees and individualised service.

Road Traffic Accident or Incident

Following a RTA or traffic incident, the police (or other interested parties such as a employers, insurance companies etc.) may wish to interview you and take a statement regarding the incident. We as professional witnesses (often in conjunction with your solicitor, legal advisor or union) can act as a buffer and assist you in the preparation of a non-judgemental witness statement that will present without prejudice the facts from your viewpoint.

Court Hearings

You may well have received a Court Summons to appear in Court on a specific date. You will be expected to enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty when you attend at Court. If you plead guilty, the Crown Prosecution will then outline the case against you. If you have not already sought legal advice it would be in your best interests to do so now. You must attend on that date, but if you require the preparation of a 'witness statement', your solicitor may be able to request an adjournment to provide additional time to prepare your case.

Penalty Points - Disqualification

Penalty points and disqualification are a complex area of traffic law. It is essential that you make contact with a solicitor or legal advisor who specialises in this area of law.

'Totting up of demerit points - We specialise (in conjunction with your solicitor or legal advisor) in helping drivers who face disqualification due to the totting up of 12 or more penalty points on their driving licences. Similarly for new drivers, if they accumulate 6 or more penalty points in a 2 year probationary period from the date of passing their driving test, they will (unless a court decides otherwise) face a return to 'learner' driver status until they have successfully re-taken all elements of the driving test. We can provide advice and retraining for new drivers to ensure a return to 'full' driver status as soon as possible.

Discretionary Disqualification - for offences such as careless driving and speeding (depending on the specifics of a case) Magistrates irrespective of the number of penalty points already accrued on your licence, can impose a 'disqualification from driving order' at their discretion. We can act in conjunction with your solicitor in the preparation of mitigation on your behalf in order to reduce the risk of disqualification. We can prepare a 'witness statement' to demonstrate to the court the underlying causes of the offence/s, your driving skills, and how you have taken positive steps to prevent any recurrence of the offending behaviour. This will involve a psychological profile and interview, and an on-road assessment of your driving. Your exposure to risk, psychological factors, stress, fatigue, and frustration levels would all be analysed for evidence that they may have been instrumental in triggering the offending behaviour.

If your job depends on driving, it could be argued that you will face exceptional hardship if you lose your licence. We regularly prepare such reports for submission to Court (via client's solicitor) with a high success rate. Success in this context means avoiding a 6-month ban and convincing the Court either not to disqualify at all, or to impose a lesser period of disqualification. Obligatory Disqualification - Offences such as 'Driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs' carry an obligatory 12 months (or higher) period of disqualification. Your legal advisor will be able to advise you if you have a defence or alternatively, if 'special reasons' as to why you drove (for instance, if you had to drive to a medical emergency) may mean you are not disqualified. We can assist in providing an expert 'witness statement' and supportive evidence as to your state of mind and driving ability.

Return of a Driving Licence

Part way through a period of disqualification (usually 2 years) you may have grounds to apply for the return of your licence. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on how to make a formal application to the Court, and the evidence required to persuade the Magistrates to return your licence. Evidence may take the form of an 'exceptional hardship' argument, or a professional 'witness statement' to determine your future ability to drive safely. Supporting evidence for your appeal would be gathered from a psychological profile, interview, and interactive computer generated driving and hazard perception scenarios. On occasions magistrates may as part of the original sentence, or as a condition for the return of your licence impose an 'extended' driving test, the re-taking of a normal driving test, or the successful completion of a defensive driving course. We can assist in providing non-judgemental advice and retraining to ensure a return to 'full' driver status as soon as possible.